Pleural Unit

Pleurae are coverings of the lungs and chest wall. The outer lining which is attached to the chest wall is called Parietal pleura and the inner lining attached to the lung is called Visceral pleura. Diseases such as infection, malignancy and other conditions can affects this part of the lung.

Pleural Ambulatory Unit (PAU) offers specialist respiratory out-patients’ clinics. The emphasis is on providing prompt and expert pleural intervention, swift pleural investigations without hospital admission.

It also acts as a conduit to a safe, timely and seamless admission of patient with acute pleural presentation such as pneumothorax, pleural infection, and malignant pleural effusion (MPE).

PAU has four days weekly clinic sessions wherein it utilises one-stop approach: providing thoracic ultrasound (TUS) and pleural interventions at the same time. In addition, the unit provides environment conducive to learning TUS and practicality of performing pleural procedures.

The unit provides advice and preparation for more advanced pleural intervention such as thoracoscopy.

Pleural interventions regularly perform in PAU:

1)    Thoracic uss (TUS)

2)    Diagnostic pleural aspiration

3)    Therapeutic pleural aspiration

4)    Seldinger Intercostal chest drains insertion (ICD)

5)    Tunnelled Indwelling Pleural Catheter (TIPC) insertion, management, and removal

6)    TIPC plus talc intervention

7)    Thoracic vent insertion, management, and removal

8)    Thoracoscopy screening and preparation

9)    Pleural manometry measurement as appropriate

The unit offers advice to District nurses, primary care teams and takes referrals from hospitals across ABUHB as well as Velindre cancer service (for patients in the ABUHB catchment area)