Hemidiaphragm work in large pleural effusion and its insignificant impact on blood gases: a new insight based on <i>in silico</i> study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Computer simulations, enabling observations of variables inaccessible in living patients, provide a powerful approach to studying complex physiological phenomena. This in silico study presents the use of a virtual patient to investigate the impact of large pleural effusion (PE) and therapeutic thoracentesis (TT) on hemidiaphragm function and arterial blood gases.

Methods

Inspired by unexpected phenomena observed in living patients undergoing large-volume TT, we formulated four questions regarding this impact. To answer these questions, we simulated right-sided PE in our virtual patient and studied changes in the pleural pressure in the ipsilateral hemithorax (Ppli) and lung volume during the respiratory cycle (exemplified by Ppli-V loops, where V is the volu

SUBMITTER: Golczewski T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12021632 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature