Routine monitoring with pleural manometry during therapeutic large-volume thoracentesis to prevent pleural-pressure-related complications: a multicentre, single-blind randomised controlled trial.

Background: In patients with non-expandable lung, removal of pleural fluid can result in excessively negative pleural pressure, which is associated with chest discomfort, pneumothorax, and re-expansion pulmonary oedema. Pleural manometry is widely used to safeguard against pressure-related complications during thoracentesis despite little evidence to support the approach. We investigated whether monitoring of pleural pressure with manometry during thoracentesis could protect against complications compared with assessment of symptoms alone.

The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates.

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these.