Table 2.
Baseline dyspnoea scores and change in dyspnoea and wellbeing scores after thoracentesis.
| Non-Expandable Lung n =12 |
Expandable Lung n =31 |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-thoracentesis | |||
| Change in dyspnoea | 0.14 | ||
| Much better | 4 (36%) | 7 (23%) | |
| Somewhat better | 1 (9%) | 11 (35%) | |
| Unchanged | 4 (36%) | 12 (39%) | |
| Somewhat worse | 1 (9%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Moderately worse | 1 (9%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Wellbeing after thoracentesis | 0.25 | ||
| Much better | 3 (27%) | 3 (10%) | |
| Somewhat better | 2 (18%) | 7 (23%) | |
| Unchanged | 5 (45%) | 20 (65%) | |
| Somewhat worse | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Much worse | 1 (9%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Pain in or tightness of chest during thoracentesis | 0.83 | ||
| None | 8 (73%) | 24 (77%) | |
| Light | 2 (18%) | 3 (10%) | |
| Moderate | 1 (9%) | 2 (6%) | |
| Severe | 0 (0%) | 2 (6%) | |
| Benefit of large volume drainage | 0.047 | ||
| Much better | 2 (29%) | 7 (26%) | |
| Somewhat better | 0 (0%) | 9 (33%) | |
| Unchanged | 3 (43%) | 11 (41%) | |
| Somewhat worse | 1 (14%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Moderately worse | 1 (14%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Pre-thoracentesis | |||
| MRC | 0.80 | ||
| Breathless only with strenuous exercise | 2 (18%) | 2 (6%) | |
| Short of breath when hurrying on level ground or up a slight hill | 2 (18%) | 6 (19%) | |
| Slower than most people of the same age on a level surface or have to stop when walking at my own pace on the level | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Stop for breath walking 100 m or after walking a few minutes at my own pace on level ground | 2 (18%) | 5 (16%) | |
| Too breathless to leave the house | 5 (45%) | 17 (55%) | |
| MBS at rest | 0.26 | ||
| Mild-to-moderate (0.5–3) | 11 (92%) | 25 (74%) | |
| Severe (>4) | 1 (8%) | 8 (26%) | |
| MBS in activity | 1.00 | ||
| Mild-to-moderate (0.5–3) | 2 (17%) | 5 (16%) | |
| Severe (>4) | 10 (83%) | 26 (84%) | |
| Shortness of breath (ESAS) | 5 (2–8) | 6 (4–8) | 0.41 |
Large volume drainage pre-defined as >760 mL [30].