PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

What procedure is typically performed to acquire pleural fluid for analysis?

1. Thoracotomy

2. Thoracentesis

3. Bronchoscopy

4. Chest X-ray

The correct answer is: Thoracentesis

The procedure used to acquire pleural fluid for analysis is thoracentesis. This is a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is inserted into the pleural space, which is the area between the lungs and the chest wall. The primary goal of thoracentesis is to collect pleural fluid for diagnostic purposes to help identify any underlying conditions, such as infections, malignancy, or inflammatory diseases. During thoracentesis, the physician typically uses an ultrasound or physical examination to locate the optimal site for needle insertion, which minimizes the risk of complications. Once the needle is inserted, pleural fluid is aspirated into a collection device for laboratory analysis, allowing for a range of tests including cytological examination, microbiological culture, and biochemical analysis. Other procedures mentioned do not serve this purpose. For instance, thoracotomy involves making a surgical incision into the chest wall, which is more invasive and used for direct access to intrathoracic structures. Bronchoscopy involves examining the airways and would not be appropriate for directly sampling pleural fluid. A chest X-ray is an imaging technique that helps visualize the structure of the lungs and pleural space but does not provide an analysis of fluid. Thus, thoracentesis is the correct and