Light R W, George R B
Chest. 1976 May;69(5):621-5. doi: 10.1378/chest.69.5.621.
Two hundred patients who had undergone abdominal surgery received bilateral decubitus chest roentgenograms between 48 and 72 hours after surgery to evaluate the incidence of pleural effusion after abdominal surgery. Ninety-seven (49 percent) had some pleural fluid visible on the x-ray films. In 50 patients the thickness of the fluid was less than 4 mm on the decubitus film; in 26, it was between 4 mm and 10 mm; and in 21, it was greater than 10 mm. The incidence of pleural effusions was higher after upper-abdominal surgery, in patients with postoperative atelectasis, on the side on which the surgery was performed, and in patients with free abdominal fluid. Thoracocentesis was performed on 20 patients, and in 16 patients the effusions were exudates. All of the effusions resolved without specific therapy except one. The pleural fluid in this patient was characterized by a low pH (6.93) and positive culture for Staphylococcus aureus. Small pleural effusions are common after abdominal surgery, and most resolve spontaneously within a few days.
200例接受腹部手术的患者在术后48至72小时接受双侧卧位胸部X线检查，以评估腹部手术后胸腔积液的发生率。97例（49%）在X线片上可见胸腔积液。在50例患者中，卧位片上积液厚度小于4mm；26例积液厚度在4mm至10mm之间；21例积液厚度大于10mm。上腹部手术后、术后肺不张患者、手术侧以及腹腔有游离液体的患者胸腔积液发生率较高。对20例患者进行了胸腔穿刺术，其中16例积液为渗出液。除1例患者外，所有积液未经特殊治疗均自行吸收。该患者胸腔积液的特点是pH值低（6.93）且金黄色葡萄球菌培养阳性。腹部手术后小量胸腔积液很常见，大多数在几天内自行吸收。
