RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Benign postpartum pleural effusion
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 1748
OP 1750
DO 10.1183/09031936.95.08101748
VO 8
IS 10
A1 KI Gourgoulianis
A1 AH Karantanas
A1 G Diminikou
A1 PA Molyvdas
YR 1995
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/8/10/1748.abstract
AB The conditions of labour appear to favour the development of pleural effusion. The frequency of postpartum pleural effusion was investigated in this study using thoracic ultrasonography. Thirty one postpartum and 22 healthy nonpregnant women of the same age-group were examined, both supine and seated, via an intercostal approach. Seven of the 31 (23%) postpartum women had pleural effusion within 1-24 h of normal delivery. None of the nonpregnant women had pleural effusion. No correlation was found between postpartum pleural effusion and age, weight-gain during pregnancy, duration of labour, use of intravenous fluid, or oxytocin administration. Pleural effusion seems to be a common finding postpartum, but of no clinical significance.