A 66-Year-Old Man Comes to the Office Due to Increasing

A 66-year-old man comes to the office due to increasing shortness of breath over the past 5 days.  He has had a nonproductive cough for several months. .  The patient appears ill.  Neck veins are nondistended.  There is decreased chest expansion on the right side.  Auscultation reveals decreased breath sounds over the right lung base.  Chest imaging shows a right lower lobe infiltrate and a small, free-flowing pleural effusion on the right side.  Thoracentesis is performed.  Laboratory results are as follows: Which of the following processes best explains this patient's pleural fluid findings?

A) Elevated pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure
B) Movement of sterile exudate into the pleural space
C) Obstruction of lymphatic pleural fluid drainage
D) Reduced pleural capillary oncotic pressure

Correct Answer:

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