A pleural tap procedure is essentially a medical procedure that involves the removal of fluids from the area between the chest cavity and the tissue lining the lungs. The procedure is primarily performed when a patient is said to be suffering from pleural effusion- a very serious condition whose symptoms include chest pain, breathlessness, hyperventilation and erratic breathing. The patient is also likely to suffer from a fever, a cough as well as noticeable weight loss. Some of the more common causing factors of the development of the condition include excessive smoking as well as occupational hazards that places an individual in smoke filled environments as well as asbestos. The condition is more commonly known to be a development as a result of some other serious medical condition affecting the body such as congestive heart failure, ovarian tumors, liver diseases and kidney problems. Besides these conditions such as pneumonia, breast cancer in women, autoimmunity, fungal infections and intolerance to drugs in addition to a number of other serious complications are also known to be causative factors.

The pleural tap technique is performed under a very strict medical environment and will first require some X-ray images taken of the chest area in order to identify the exact site of fluid accumulation. Once this has been completed and the pleural tap surgery is about to commence, the doctor will administer local anesthetic to the patient. The patient is then asked to sit upright and bend a little forward. The pleural tap needle is then guided through the skin and the ribs from the patients back and the fluid is collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Once the fluid has been removed, the site of the puncture is then covered with a sterile dressing with another chest X-ray performed. As with any kind of medical surgery, there are complications that can develop as a result of oversight or other factors. Some of the complications that can be the result of having a pleural tap protocol procedure performed include infection, lung collapse, lung edema, internal bleeding as well as fainting.

The pleural tap results mentioned in the medical report will inform the presiding doctor about the reasons for the accumulation of the fluid in the chest region. The medical report will indicate if the blood in the sample indicates heart damage, asbestos intolerance or cancer.

Abnormal pH levels in the fluid sample are indicative of rheumatism, tuberculosis as well as lung infection while the abnormal amounts of white blood cells are indicative of tuberculosis and cancer.