Thoracentesis and thoracic ultrasound: state of the art in 2013

Thoracentesis is one of the most common medical procedures performed today. With the advent of thoracic ultrasound, thoracentesis has been enhanced with additional preprocedural, intraprocedural, and postprocedural information. The authors review modern-day thoracentesis and the use of ultrasonography. Nearly 200,000 thoracenteses are performed among 1.5 million patients with pleural effusion each year. A solid foundation in didactic knowledge and procedural proficiency is important to avoid unwanted complications. Ultrasound has become an indispensable tool to guide performance of thoracentesis. Ultrasonography for this purpose has several advantages. The authors provide a contemporary review on thoracentesis and the use of ultrasonography.