Thoracentesis

Pleural Tap

How To Prepare

You will be asked to sign a consent form before a thoracentesis. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the procedure, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate. To help you understand the importance of this procedure, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

Tell your doctor if you:

• Are taking any medications.
• Have allergies to any medications, including anesthetics.
• Have any bleeding problems or take blood thinners, such as ASA or warfarin (Coumadin).
• Are or might be pregnant.

Also, certain conditions may increase the difficulty of thoracentesis. Let your doctor know if you have:

• Had lung surgery. The scarring from the first procedure may make it difficult to do this procedure.
• A long-term (chronic), irreversible lung disease, such as emphysema.

A chest X-ray is usually done before the procedure. Your doctor may order certain blood tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC) and bleeding factors, before your procedure.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: May 24, 2007
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
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