What is a plueral tap?

Question

What is a plueral tap?

Answer 1

It is a draining of fluid from the pleural space.  It can be done for therapeutic or diagnostic reasons or both.

Answer 2

There are two layers of pleura, which are very thin coverings. One is on the inside of the ribcage, the other on the outside of the ribs. There's normally no space between the two layers, but sometimes fluid accumulates in the space. The fluid may be drawn off diagnostically to see what it is (and perhaps what the heck it's doing there); or it may be done therapeutically, if there's so much of it that it interferes with breathing.