Pleural effusion fluid with LDH ratio >0.6 and inflammatory/injury characteristics is characterized as which type?

Pleural effusion fluid with LDH ratio >0.6 and inflammatory/injury characteristics is characterized as which type?

• A. Transudative
• B. Purulent
• C. Hemorrhagic
• D. Exudative

Answer: (D)

Distinguishing pleural effusions with Light’s criteria. An LDH ratio of pleural fluid to serum greater than 0.6 points to an exudative effusion. Exudates arise from inflammation or injury to the pleura that increases capillary permeability, so the fluid is rich in protein and LDH and often carries inflammatory characteristics. Transudates, by contrast, come from systemic factors that change hydrostatic or oncotic pressures and tend to have lower protein and LDH with little inflammation. Purulent or hemorrhagic descriptors relate to the fluid’s contents but the underlying mechanism here is inflammatory/injury-related, making exudative the best classification.

Distinguishing pleural effusions with Light’s criteria. An LDH ratio of pleural fluid to serum greater than 0.6 points to an exudative effusion. Exudates arise from inflammation or injury to the pleura that increases capillary permeability, so the fluid is rich in protein and LDH and often carries inflammatory characteristics. Transudates, by contrast, come from systemic factors that change hydrostatic or oncotic pressures and tend to have lower protein and LDH with little inflammation. Purulent or hemorrhagic descriptors relate to the fluid’s contents but the underlying mechanism here is inflammatory/injury-related, making exudative the best classification.