Sequelae of pleurisy with pulmonary effusion

Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
Updated on September 22, 2024
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The main sequelae of pleurisy with pleural effusion are pleural adhesions, which can affect respiratory function. Pleurisy is mostly caused by infectious diseases, although a portion is also due to non-infectious diseases. In the case of pleural effusion caused by infectious diseases, it contains a large amount of fibrinogen, which has the function of adhering to our pleura, thereby causing the pleura to thicken. At this time, the pleura will compress our lungs, significantly reducing the respiratory volume of our lungs, which greatly affects our respiratory function. Patients mainly exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, and rapid breathing even with slight activity or while lying in bed. Therefore, if pleurisy is detected, it is crucial to drain the fluid from the patient as soon as possible to avoid delaying treatment and the subsequent development of severe sequelae.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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What should I do about pleurisy calcification?

Pleural calcification, mainly results from long-term unresolved pleuritis or inadequate timely treatment, causing adherence between the two pleural layers. Following this adhesion, calcium salts may deposit, leading to calcification. Usually, the primary consideration is whether the patient's lung function has been impacted. If so, a thoracotomy and pleural decortication might be performed to restore the pleural structure. If the patient only shows pleural calcification on imaging without significant discomfort, it may be observed without immediate intervention, and regular monitoring of the calcification is recommended to see if it enlarges. If the condition remains stable over time, it might not require treatment since this represents a tendency towards healing, or the residual scarring may not necessitate special management.

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Written by Luo Peng
Thoracic Surgery
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What medicine to take for pleurisy

Regarding what medicine to take for pleurisy, it depends on the specific actual situation. If it is simple mild pleuritis without pleural effusion and only pain, generally, if the pain is not severe, medication may not be necessary. If the pain is severe, one can (under the guidance of a doctor) take oral pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen with codeine for symptomatic treatment. If there are symptoms such as fever, coughing up phlegm, pleural effusion, or even suspected tuberculous pleuritis, long-term oral anti-tuberculosis drugs are required for treatment. If tuberculosis cannot be confirmed and there are no significant symptoms, symptomatic treatment can be administered temporarily.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Is it normal to occasionally feel chest tightness with pleuritis?

Patients with pleurisy occasionally experience chest tightness, which is a very common clinical symptom. It is important to clarify that in clinical cases, pleurisy is mostly due to infection of the pleural cavity by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, causing clinical symptoms such as fever, chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain. Therefore, during an acute episode of pleurisy, some patients may have a severe pleural infection, and possibly a large amount of pleural effusion, which inevitably leads to symptoms like shortness of breath and chest tightness. For patients with pleurisy, if it is tuberculous, it is crucial to provide anti-tuberculosis medication as early as possible for symptomatic treatment. A lengthy course of treatment is usually required to effectively control the discomfort caused by pleurisy.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Is it normal to occasionally have chest pain with pleurisy?

Pleurisy is a very common type of disease, with many triggering factors. Most cases of pleurisy are caused by infection of the pleural cavity by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leading to inflammatory lesions. Once pleurisy is diagnosed, patients should promptly receive anti-tuberculosis medication for effective treatment. It is commonly known that if pleurisy is not controlled promptly and effectively, it may lead to worsening symptoms such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and chest pain, so these clinical symptoms are also very common in patients with pleurisy. Therefore, it is very common for patients with pleurisy to experience chest pain. Even after complete recovery from pleurisy, there may be varying degrees of chest pain, which is considered normal. This is because pleurisy in the acute phase may involve different degrees of adhesions, hence chest pain may occur later on as well.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What is the cause of hemoptysis in pleurisy?

Pleurisy is generally more commonly seen in young adults and children clinically, and is most commonly caused by an infection of the pleura by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Usually, patients with this type of pleurisy do not experience symptoms of coughing up blood. The typical symptoms caused by pleurisy primarily include chest pain, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and in severe cases with a lot of pleural effusion, it can cause the patient to experience breathing difficulties and sometimes chills. Therefore, the clinical symptoms presented by different patients can vary. When a patient with pleurisy has a severe cough, it can lead to the rupture of the capillaries in the bronchial walls, which can cause the patient to have varying degrees of blood in the sputum, or even coughing up blood.