What is Pleural Fluid Gram Stain?
Pleural fluid is found in the space around the lungs. First, a sample of the pleural fluid is drained. This is done using a procedure called thoracentesis . The health care provider cleanses an area on the chest with germ-killing (antibacterial) soap and numbs it with local pain-killing medicine (anesthetic). A needle placed between the ribs removes a sample of fluid from the chest. The fluid sample is placed onto a microscope slide and mixed with a violet stain (called a gram stain). A l…
