The doc removed 1100 cc's of fluid from my mother's right lung...

[Rysdad]

...while I sat there and watched. It was pale yellow. They're going to culture it and see if it's the result of some kind of infection and/or if the cause is congestive heart failure and/or hypertension. (Her kidney function is good.)

No wonder she's had a little trouble breathing lately. She had been saying that her asthma inhaler didn't seem to be helping much.

Geez. More than a liter of fluid. She was breathing better by the time they finished. Amazing. And I work in a hospital where I see similar things to this on a regular basis.

And, my mother is _tiny. It doesn't seem like she would have enough room in both lungs for that much fluid.

Being able to breathe kicks all other ass.

[Ice Wolf]

Wow. Best wishes and speedy recovery to your mother, Rysdad.

[beckwall]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your mom. Pale yellow is better than green, brown or pus-like (sorry, TMI for you non-medical types). A tap like that should really provide her with some comfort and better breathing. Just need to figure out why it accumulated - if her renal function is good - and how to prevent it from occurring again. Best of luck to you both - beckwall

[Madd Maxx]

If I were to have say, a liter of fluid in my lungs, would it pour out of me like a pitcher if I were to hang upside down? I'm guessing not, but why not?

[Kalhoun]

I'm sure that will make her feel better. My SIL had six liters removed from her abdomen (ascites (sp?) due to alcoholism. She was so big that she appeared to be 9 mos. pregnant.

I watched the procedure. When they took the needle out, the fluid continued to spout out like a little hose.

[Ellen Cherry]

I wish your mother a speedy recovery, Rysdad. How is she feeling today?

[Khadaji]

May whatever gods there be, be with her in her recovery.

[kinoons]

Originally Posted by Madd Maxx

If I were to have say, a liter of fluid in my lungs, would it pour out of me like a pitcher if I were to hang upside down? I'm guessing not, but why not?

My guess would be the surface tension of the water. It gets pretty damn small down in the alveoli of your lungs. While the fluid in question is somewhat gravity dependant, (Which is one reason why someone who is short of breath with fluid in their lungs will want to sit up) I don't believe it will simply flow out if inverted.

example -- we draw some drugs out of ampoules. These are small glass containers that we break off the top of to get to the drug. The resultant opening is very small, and if inverted, no fluid will run out.

[dwyr]

Sounds like pleural fluid which means it actually came from the pleural space in the chest cavity, outside the actual lung. I've analyzed buckets of the stuff in the lab over the past couple of months.

[Rysdad]

Thanks much for the good wishes. I passed them on. I should've been more explicit I guess because I had to explain what "Dopers" were. Twice.

Anyway, she's breathing much better. I haven't spoken with the pulmonary doc yet, so I don't know the results of the culture. I almost hope it was a bacterial infection because that might be easier to clear up once and for all rather than congestive heart failure.

She may be coming home on Sunday. I hope so.

Thanks again, folks.