Pleural effusions at the Internal Medicine Unit, Centre National Hospitalier Universitaire, Cotonou, Benin

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the aetiology and clinical outcomes of pleural effusions in the Internal Medicine Unit of the Centre National Hospitalier Universitaire HK Maga (CNHU/HKM) of Cotonou in Benin. Ninety-five (95) patients hospi talised at CNHU/HKM were recruited. Tuberculosis was found as the main aetiology (42.3%), followed by neoplasia (25.7%) and bacterial infections (20%). Dyspnoea was found in 42.3%. Pleural effusions were haematic in 51.1%, purulent in 23.9% and citrine in colour in 22.8%. The clinical outcome was successful in 65% of patients and death occurred in 13%. This retrospective study shows that even though clinical symptoms and etiologies of pleural effusions are in most cases poor predictors of outcome, clinical issues of patients were resolved successfully. We suggest that medical school and residency training programmes place more emphasis on teaching the management of pleural effusions.