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Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 44(04): 417-425
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1769614
Review Article

The Global Burden of Pleural Diseases

Erik Vakil
1   Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
,
Niloofar Taghizadeh
2   Department of Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Emergency Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
,
Alain Tremblay
1   Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Abstract

Pleural diseases include a spectrum of disorders broadly categorized into pneumothorax and pleural effusion. They often cause pain, breathlessness, cough, and reduced quality of life. The global burden of diseases reflects regional differences in conditions and exposures associated with pleural disease, such as smoking, pneumonia, tuberculosis, asbestos, cancer, and organ failure. Disease burden in high-income countries is overrepresented given the availability of data and disease burden in lower-income countries is likely underestimated. In the United States, in 2016, there were 42,215 treat-and-discharge visits to the emergency room for pleural diseases and an additional 361,270 hospitalizations, resulting in a national cost of $10.1 billion.

Keywords

pleural diseases - pleural effusion - pneumothorax - tuberculous - mesothelioma


Publication History

Article published online:
01 June 2023

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