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Right and left pulmonary hydrothorax

Heart failure, renal disease, anemia , severe and other diseases can be complicated by hydrothorax. In people, this pathological condition is known as dropsy of the chest.


What is hydrothorax lung?

Hydrothorax lung – a condition in which the pleural cavity is the accumulation of fluid. Most often, the fluid is non-inflammatory in nature. Pathology is not independent, basically it aggravates the course of the underlying disease. Hydrothorax can become a companion of the diseases for which typical blood stasis observed in the pulmonary circulation, high blood pressure.

The disease can take three forms:

  • left (the rare);
  • right-hand (rare);
  • bilateral (the most popular).

The first person may experience right-sided (left-sided) hydrothorax, then converted to double-sided view.

Also hydrothorax is traditionally divided into the following groups:

  • simple hydrothorax;
  • chylothorax (in the pleural cavity concentrates the lymph);
  • hemothorax (in the pleural cavity blood collected).

The amount of fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity when the hydrothorax may range from 100 ml to several litres. As a rule, the manifestation of the disease the patient does not bother you, if the volume of exudate does not go beyond 200 ml.

Hydrothorax, causes compression of the lung tissue, reducing its size, this occurs if the liquid is collected in large quantity. It is also likely to shift the mediastinum. The result can be respiratory failure, circulatory failure, therefore, to leave the disease without treatment is extremely dangerous.

Hydrothorax is able to provoke in the patient a heart attack, cause problems with the kidneys and liver, cause pulmonary edema and other serious complications.

The causes of hydrothorax

To cause the development of hydrothorax are many diseases that trigger high blood pressure.

The most frequent ones include the following diseases pathology:

Kidney disease reduce the pressure of the blood plasma, resulting in hydrothorax. Similarly, the disease develops in myxedema, and malnutrition. Cirrhosis of the liver pathology may also be related to the movement of ascitic fluid into the pleural cavity from the abdominal. Almost same thing happens in peritoneal dialysis, ascites. Tumors of the mediastinum become a provocateur because of the violation of the outflow of lymph and blood.

Also a factor that triggers the development of the disease, may be a violation of metabolism (salt, water, protein).


The symptoms of hydrothorax

If the pathological accumulation of fluid takes a serious form, the patient began to be troubled by shortness of breath, the ever-present feeling of heaviness in the affected side of the chest (right, left, both, depending on the forms of hydrothorax).

Trouble also says about himself the following symptoms:

  • a forced posture (your upper body is raised, tilt to side to concentrate the liquid);
  • chest pain;
  • dry cough;

  • redness of the skin;
  • swelling;
  • swelling of the fingers;
  • a slight increase in temperature;
  • tachycardia;

  • difficulty falling asleep.

In addition, when hydrothorax in a patient may increase in size of the lymph nodes, the appearance of pain in muscles, stiffness in the limbs. And finally, if you are going for a large amount of fluid occurs, the deformation of the affected part of the chest. Smoothed intercostal spaces, the chest bulges. Easier for the patient to lie on the affected side, as in this position it is possible to avoid pressure from the top.


Treatment of hydrothorax

If the patient has hydrothorax, moderate volume, at the forefront of the fight against the disease, against which it evolved. Depending onreadings can be assigned to protein, diuretics, medications for the treatment of heart failure.

Puncture with aspiration

If the pleural cavity accumulate a volume of fluid, the patient progresses to respiratory failure, constricted lungs, he's given puncture. The main goal of manipulation is the slow elimination of oral transudate. Suctioning is performed using a special thick and long needle. The procedure can be carried out in order to clarify the diagnosis. The fluid is analyzed, which allows to verify the correctness of the verdict of "hydrothorax", do not mix it with hemothorax or exudative pleurisy.

For the procedure the patient takes a sitting position. For the purposes of anesthesia local anesthesia is used, injection is made in the lowest point of the area of the pleura. In one procedure "sucked"to a maximum of 1.5 liters of fluid. If this amount is exceeded, there is a danger of displacement of the mediastinum. Can also decrease blood pressure. After the puncture, the puncture site is closed with a sterile bandage.

Cleansing of the pleural cavity from pathological fluid allows to restore blood flow,"run" the respiratory processes. It's a simple procedure to prepare for her not to. If the problem is recurrent hydrothorax, puncture of the pleural cavity performed repeatedly, in complex cases, several times.

Treatment of major diseases

Despite the simplicity of the puncture, the doctors are trying to keep to conservative treatment of the disease. The frequent repetition of suction provides a serious loss of protein, perhaps the deterioration of geneprotein.

If the patient appears hydrothorax in cirrhosis of the liver, he prescribes the diet, reducing salt intake and fluid that contain sufficient amount of protein. Also taking diuretics if there is evidence.

If the disease is connected with kidney disease, the appearance of nephrotic syndrome, the patient shows a bed rest to improve the production of urine. Also prescribed diet that reduces the allowable amount of salt (or completely exclude this product if the patient is present swelling), monitor fluid replacement. Connects and drug therapy (depending on the specific disease).

In heart failure patient is prescribed a fractional power, a special diet program, getting enough sleep, avoiding stressful situations. Drug therapy is also used. Cardiac glycosides, inhibitors phophodiesterase are assigned to enhance the contractile function of the myocardium. By using diuretics, the body gets rid of excessfluid. Accepted and medications that reduce the loads that have to the left ventricle of the heart.

The best prevention of hydrothorax timely and adequate treatment of diseases which are able to create conditions for its development. It is also recommended to avoid any damage to the chest.