Expert opinion from Alex T. Thomas MD · 40 years of experience · USA One can drain pleural effusion2-3 times a week. By putting a tube into the chest, a pleural effusion is usually drained.

Dr. Peter C. Grayson: This 70-year-old man presented with a recurrent left pleural effusion in the context of a severe, systemic illness that was characterized by musculoskeletal pain, chondritis ...