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What Causes Development Of Fluids Around The Lungs In A 87 Year Old?
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Hi my grandmother age 87 has been in hospital for 3 weeks now and has pnemonia she developed fluid on the outside of her lungs and the doctor stuck a needle between her ribs to draw it out plus her arm is swollen now because apparently the sodium iv was dripping into her arm because the vein was missed . can you tell me if this is causing her much pain and what could the complications be
Hi my grandmother age 87 has been in hospital for 3 weeks now and has pnemonia she developed fluid on the outside of her lungs and the doctor stuck a needle between her ribs to draw it out plus her arm is swollen now because apparently the sodium iv was dripping into her arm because the vein was missed . can you tell me if this is causing her much pain and what could the complications be
Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Hello,
The fluid is in the pleural space outside the lungs. It can occur in pneumonia and in conditions like malignancy, heart failure and fluid overload. The doctor may be removing the fluid to help your grandmother breathe easier and also for analysis of the fluid to get more information.
The arm swelling is related to the iv fluid going out of the vein due to a couple of reasons and is not due to the pleural effusion. There would be pain and swelling for a couple of days. Don't worry, the arm will return to normal. Usually there is no complication. In some cases there can be an infection which is treatable easily.
Hope your grandmother feels better soon.
If you have more queries, I am ready to answer.
Dr. Noble Zachariah, Kuwait.
The fluid is in the pleural space outside the lungs. It can occur in pneumonia and in conditions like malignancy, heart failure and fluid overload. The doctor may be removing the fluid to help your grandmother breathe easier and also for analysis of the fluid to get more information.
The arm swelling is related to the iv fluid going out of the vein due to a couple of reasons and is not due to the pleural effusion. There would be pain and swelling for a couple of days. Don't worry, the arm will return to normal. Usually there is no complication. In some cases there can be an infection which is treatable easily.
Hope your grandmother feels better soon.
If you have more queries, I am ready to answer.
Dr. Noble Zachariah, Kuwait.
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