A patient has a pleural fluid with 2000 WBCs per mL. Seventy percent of the cells are neutrophils. Which of the following is most likely?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A pleural fluid with 2000 WBCs per mL and 70% neutrophils is indicative of an exudate. The high neutrophil count suggests an acute inflammatory response, which is often seen in bacterial infections. Therefore, option C is the most likely, indicating an exudate in a patient with a pleural bacterial infection. Option A is incorrect because 2000 WBCs/mL is not within normal range for pleural fluid. Option B is incorrect because transudate is characterized by low protein content and low cellular content, which is not seen in this case. Option D is incorrect because heart failure-related pleural effusions typically have a lower WBC count and a lower percentage of neutrophils than observed in this case.

A Patient Has a Pleural Fluid with 2000 WBCs Per