TY - JOUR T1 - Transudates and exudates JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - 657 LP - 657 DO - 10.1136/thorax.57.7.657-a VL - 57 IS - 7 AU - S J Quantrill AU - L Dabal Y1 - 2002/07/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/57/7/657.2.abstract N2 - Joseph et al have made a valuable contribution to the evaluation of pleural effusions.1 However, we would like to sound a note of caution. Throughout all the literature, including the study by Joseph et al, one message remains the same: no single test is diagnostic for transudates or exudates.2 Thus, overreliance on such a test can be very misleading and lead to either under or over-investigation.Rarely in the literature is there any discussion regarding the place of pleural fluid protein or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) estimation. Specifically, how does it alter management? Does the finding of a … ER -