Table 3. Pleural fluid characteristics in patients with COVID-19.
| Cases | Mei et al. (64) | Chen et al. (66) | Chong et al. (63) | Chong et al. (63) | Chong et al. (63) | Chong et al. (63) | Chong et al. (63) | Bennett et al. (65) | Malik et al. (68) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 72 M | 12 M | 68 M | 62 F | 50 M | 50 M | 46 M | 61M | 71M |
| Thoracentesis performed | Day 6 | Second week | Day 23 | 14 | Day 20 | 20 | 15 | NS | Third week |
| Comorbidities | HTN | None | HLD | HTN, HLD, CKD, diabetes, CAD | Renal failure | Renal failure | HTN, HLD, CKD, diabetes, CAD, asthma | Kidney transplant | NS |
| Systemic anticoagulation | None | None | Yes, heparin | Yes, heparin | Yes, enoxaparin | Yes, enoxaparin | Yes, enoxaparin | None | None |
| Volume removed (mL) | 600 | 300 | 3,000 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 500 | NS | 1,200 |
| Laterality | Right | Right | Left | Left | Left | Right | Right | Left | Left |
| Color | Yellow | Yellow | Serosanguineous | Serous | Serous | Serosanguineous | Sanguineous | Yellow | Serosanguineous |
| Cell count and differential | |||||||||
| Cell count (per mm3) | 120 | 5,860 | 1,850 | 2,719 | 476 | 600 | 7,738 | 25 | 993 |
| Neutrophil | NS | 2% | 75% | 0% | 11% | 47% | 96% | 20% | 89% |
| Lymphocyte | 92% | 98% | 9% | 75% | 50% | 30% | 1% | 80% | |
| Eosinophil | NS | NS | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | NS | NS |
| Monocyte | 5% | 10% | 39% | 22% | 2% | ||||
| RBC (per mm3) | NS | NS | 555,000 | 88,000 | 2,000 | 133,000 | 1,010,000 | NS | NS |
| Chemistry | |||||||||
| pH | 7.35 | 7.45 | 7.43 | 7.72 | 7.8 | 7.57 | NS | NS | |
| Protein (gm/dL) | 2.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2 | Exudative effusion, specific parameters not specified |
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 115 | NS | 1,322 | 116 | 209 | 191 | 102 | NS | NS |
| LDH (IU/L) | 168 | 291 | 2,689 | 672 | 549 | 284 | 3,651 | 79 | NS |
| Serum studies | |||||||||
| LDH (150–300 IU/L) | 257 | NR | 904 | 434 | 220 | 220 | 160 | 262 | 363 |
| Protein (6–8.5 gm/dL) | 5.1 | NR | 4.8 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 4.9 | NS | |
| Cytology | Reactive mesothelial cells and mature lymphocytes | Reactive mesothelial cells and mature lymphocytes | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | Negative for malignancy |
| Microbiology | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | NS | Negative |
| SARS-CoV-2 PCR | Positive 6,776 copies/mL | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested | Positive | Positive |
| Effusion recurred | No | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | No |
| Outcome | Improved | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Survived | Survived |
M, male; F, female; CAD, coronary artery disease; CKD, chronic kidney disease; HLD, hyperlipidemia; HTN, hypertension; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; NS, not specified.