ABSTRACT
Pleural disease refers to a wide spectrum of disorders and disease processes that affect the lung pleura; these include conditions such as pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pleural infection or inflammation and pleural malignancy. Pleural disease presents a significant health challenge globally, with over 3000 people per million each year being affected (Du Rand and Maskell, 2010). Consequently, pleural disease contributes to a considerable workload and resource burden for healthcare professionals caring for this patient group. Owing to the diverse nature of pleural disease, healthcare professionals may encounter this patient group in a variety of clinical settings, for example in emergency departments, respiratory centres, within critical care facilities and also within the community setting.
