Which procedure is typically performed to manage pleural effusion?

The procedure that is typically performed to manage pleural effusion is chest tube insertion. This procedure involves placing a tube into the pleural space to drain excess fluid that has accumulated between the layers of tissue lining the lungs and the chest cavity. By removing this fluid, chest tube insertion helps to relieve symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest discomfort, and it can also allow the lungs to fully expand.

Chest tube insertion is specifically indicated for pleural effusion when the fluid collection is significant enough to require drainage. It can be done for diagnostic purposes or for therapeutic relief. This procedure is generally a standard approach in clinical practice for managing symptomatic pleural effusions, especially when they are large or causing significant respiratory distress.

In contrast, lung expansion therapy focuses on improving the lung volumes and ensuring adequate gas exchange, but it does not directly address the fluid accumulation in the pleural space. Pulmonary embolus management pertains to the treatment of blood clots in the lungs, which is unrelated to pleural effusions. Antitubercular therapy is a treatment for tuberculosis and its effects on lung tissue, rather than a procedure used to manage fluid in the pleural cavity.