Light RW, et. al. Pleural Effusions: The Diagnostic Separation of Transudates and Exudates. Ann Intern Med. 1972;77:507-513. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-77-4-507

Ali HA, Lippmann M, Mundathaje U, Khaleeq G. Spontaneous hemothorax: a comprehensive review. Chest. Nov 2008;134(5):1056-65

Light RW. Clinical practice. Pleural effusion. N Engl J Med. Jun 20 2002;346(25):1971-7.

Light RW, Erozan YS, Ball WC Jr. Cells in pleural fluid. Their value in differential diagnosis. Arch Intern Med. Dec 1973;132(6):854-60.

Dr. Richard W. Light

Light's Criteria for Exudative Effusions

serum_protein

pleural_protein

serum_ldh

pleural_ldh

upper_limit_serum_ldh

Determines if pleural fluid is exudative or transudative.

Pleural effusion: exudative vs transudative.

Light's Criteria

Sagar Patel, MD, is currently a fellow in hematology and oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. A native of Minneapolis, he attended the University of Minnesota for both his medical school and internal medicine residency training. Dr. Patel’s areas of interest include health informatics and its advancement of clinical care and research realms. His disease research interests include leukemias, lymphomas, plasma cell neoplasms, and bone marrow transplantation.

Sagar Patel, MD

Light's Criteria is a diagnostic tool used to determine if pleural fluid is exudative. This is crucial for identifying the underlying cause of pleural effusions, which can range from malignancy to infections. By evaluating the ratios of pleural fluid protein to serum protein and pleural fluid LDH to serum LDH, clinicians can make informed decisions about further diagnostic and therapeutic steps. Light's Criteria is highly sensitive for exudative effusions, making it a valuable resource in clinical practice.

Pleural Fluid LDH

Pleural Fluid Protein

Total Serum Protein

Serum LDH

Upper Limit of Normal Serum LDH

DRIP Score

Lung Injury Prediction Score (LIPS)

PIRO Score for CAP

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) focuses on the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, and young adults. With about 67,000 members, including pediatricians, medical subspecialists, and surgical specialists, the AAP supports optimal care. Over 45,000 members are board-certified Fellows of the AAP (FAAP). Its mission is to promote children's health and well-being while supporting members' professional needs.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

The American Association for Physician Leadership&reg; (AAPL) is the world&rsquo;s oldest and largest professional association dedicated solely to maximizing physician leadership.&nbsp;From the moment physicians begin their leadership journey through the time they are seasoned leaders, AAPL provides education and training, resources and tools, and content and experiences needed to close gaps between hands-on clinical care, organization system improvements and optimized business outcomes.

American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL)

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) represents more than 38,000 emergency physicians, emergency medicine residents and medical students. ACEP promotes the highest quality of emergency care and is the leading advocate for emergency physicians and their patients, and the public. Members may earn up to 850 continuing medical education hours every year through ACEP&rsquo;s robust catalog of peer-reviewed publications and on-demand courses presented by world-renowned emergency medicine experts.

American College Of Emergency Physicians

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) supports clinicians in delivering high-quality, evidence-based care to gastroenterology patients. Its mission is to advance care for those with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation, and advocacy. ACG provides members with up-to-date scientific information through annual meetings, the American Journal of Gastroenterology, training courses, and research grants, focusing on digestive health and GI disorder treatments.

American College of Gastroenterology

American College of Rheumatology

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), founded in 1897, provides leadership and education to over 16,000 members worldwide, all dedicated to advancing gastroenterology. The AGA&rsquo;s mission is to empower clinicians and researchers to improve digestive health through clinical guidance, practice resources, and peer-reviewed research. Key journals include Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and others.

American Gastroenterological Association

American Heart Association

American Urological Association

EB Medicine is the premier provider of evidence-based clinical content and CME resources for emergency medicine practitioners.

EB Medicine

MDCalc CME

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine

The Rome Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI), also known as functional gastrointestinal disorders. Its mission is to improve the lives of people with DGBI. For over 30 years, the Rome Foundation has worked with scientists and clinicians worldwide to classify and assess GI function and dysfunction, creating symptom-based criteria used in clinical trials and daily practice to guide diagnosis and treatment.

The ROME Foundation

Listen to the VACO co-creators break down how to use VACO\, what it does\, and what it doesn’t.

Calc Function