Pleural fluid culture

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Pleural culture

Pleural fluid culture is a laboratory test performed on a sample of fluid collected from the space around the lungs. The test isolates and identifies organisms that cause infection.

Culture - pleural fluid

First a sample of pleural fluid must be taken from the patient. This is done using a procedure called  thoracentesis, or needle aspiration. A small area on the chest is cleansed with antibacterial soap and numbed with local anesthetic. A needle is placed between the ribs, and a sample of fluid is withdrawn from the chest.

The sample is placed on culture plates that contain a substance to help the microorganisms in the fluid grow. When colonies of microorganisms are big enough, a series of tests are done to identify the infection-causing organisms.

It is important not to cough, breathe deeply, or move when the fluid sample is being taken. There is no other special preparation for the test.

You may feel a stinging sensation when the anesthetic in injected. You may feel some pressure and slight localized pain when the thoracentesis needle enters the pleural space. A chest x-ray is usually done following the test to be sure the lung tissue was not affected by the test.

The test is performed when infection of the pleural space is suspected, or when an abnormal collection of pleural fluid shows on a chest x-ray.

Review Date: 02/27/2006
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.