ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the causes of pleural effusion, biochemical characteristics, hospital stay, mortality and associated factors in patients hospitalized at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases Ismael Cosío Villegas (2011-2012). Patients and methods: Were recruited patients had results that include: a) biochemical study of pleural effusion, b) patients in whom the etiology was documented malignant or benign tumor and c) that could be classified as exudate or transudate. The analysis was carried out using STATA 9.0. Results and conclusions: We included 364 patients who had complete information (80.4%). The main results were: a) proportion of infectious effusions: 52% (TB, 16.2%; pneumonia and parapneumonic, 24.7%; empyema, 11.1%), followed by thoracic cancer (33.5%); b) there was no differences in the proportion of patients with pleural exudates from malignant or benign; c) benign effusions showed an increase in pleural DHL, and pleural fluid cholesterol (LP), in contrast, malignant effusions showed higher proportion polymorphonuclear cells and lymphocytes in LP; d) there was no difference in days of hospitalization and mortality among patients with benign or malignant effusion.

KEYWORDS

Pleural effusion, epidemiology, mortality.

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