Background There are limited data examining the diagnostic accuracy of thoracic
ultrasonography (TUS) in distinguishing transudative from exudative pleural effusions.
Research Question What is the diagnostic accuracy of TUS in distinguishing transudative
from exudative effusions in consecutive patients with pleural effusion? Study Design and
Methods Consecutive patients who underwent TUS and subsequently a diagnostic
thoracentesis with a pleural fluid analysis were identified. TUS images of the pleural …

I read the paper from Shkolnik et al 1 published in a recent issue of CHEST (August 2020).
The aim of the study was to assess diagnostic accuracy of thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) in
distinguishing transudative from exudative effusions in consecutive patients with pleural
effusion. They evaluated 300 consecutive pleural effusions in 285 patients who underwent
TUS and subsequently a diagnostic thoracentesis with a pleural fluid analysis. They
reported the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for a simple …