AI Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the differences in causes of undiagnosed pleural effusions between outpatient and inpatient settings, involving 1,080 adult patients from four UK hospitals.
- - Results showed that malignant effusions were more frequent in outpatients (48.3%) while infections were more common in inpatients (36.2%), indicating significant differences based on patient status.
- - The findings suggest that diagnostic approaches should be tailored based on whether patients are admitted to the hospital or seen as outpatients.
Article Abstract
Introduction: This multi-centre retrospective cohort study aimed to determine whether the cause of an undiagnosed pleural effusion differed depending on if a patient presented as an outpatient or inpatient.
Methods: A total of 1080 adult patients (556 inpatients and 524 outpatients) presenting primarily with an undiagnosed pleural effusion from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022 from four UK hospitals were included.
Results: We found malignant effusions were more common in outpatients compared to inpatients (48.3% vs. 36.0% p < 0.0001). Infection was common in inpatients but uncommon in outpatients (36.2% vs. 5.0% p < 0.0001). Other causes in all patients included heart and/or renal failure (13.1%) and non-specific pleuritis (5.6%). No diagnosis was possible in 11.8% of patients referred.
Conclusion: Investigative pathways should vary depending on whether patients present as an inpatient or outpatient.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11464212 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/crj.13795 | DOI Listing |
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