Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Observational
Official Title: The Assessment of Heart Function Using Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) Following Thoracentesis on Large-volume Pleural Effusions
Brief Summary: The physiologic basis for relief from dyspnea after therapeutic thoracentesis remains poorly understood. Improvement of the heart and lung function may contribute to the dyspnea relief. But there is no data support this phenomenon. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is a non-invasive viewing of the heart, which can quickly assess the heart function through real-time images. The investigators performed thoracentesis on patients with large-volume pleural effusions, and utilized TTE to access the change of heart and lung function before and after this medical procedure.