Thoracentesis outcomes: a 12-year experience

The authors performed a single center review to assess outcomes of thoracentesis for inpatients.  For 9,320 thoracenteses in 4,618 patients the incidence of adverse outcomes was quite low: pneumothorax 0.6%, reexpansion pulmonary edema 0.01%, and bleeding 0.2%.  Current guidelines may not be aligned with outcomes of expert clinical practice.