• L Ferreiro, J Suárez-Antelo, M E Toubes, and L Valdés.
• Servicio de Neumología, Complejo Hospitalario Clínico-Universitario de Santiago, Estructura Organizativa de Xestión Integrada de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, España; Grupo interdisciplinar de investigación en Neumología, Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, España. Electronic address: lferfer7@gmail.com.
• Semergen. 2019 Oct 1; 45 (7): 474-478.

AbstractThoracentesis is a simple test with few complications that provides relevant information in the diagnosis of a pleural effusion, through a correct interpretation of the pleural fluid analysis. An interesting initiative would be to incorporate this technique by those Primary Care teams that treat serious and complex patients, with difficulties in moving to specialised centres far from their homes. In this context, a good knowledge of the diagnostic possibilities offered by the pleural fluid analysis could be very useful in the hands of well trained staff to establish the aetiology of a pleural effusion and be able to initiate, as quickly as possible, its treatment. This article aims to contribute to this, by suggesting guidelines on how a simple technique can provide relevant information in order to determine the aetiology of pleural effusion, and which could be implemented within a given Primary Care framework.Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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