What are lights criteria?

Light’s Criteria are used to determine whether a pleural effusion is exudative or transudative. Satisfying any ONE criterium means it is exudative: Pleural Total Protein/Serum Total Protein ratio > 0.5. Pleural lactate dehydrogenase/Serum lactate dehydrogenase ratio > 0.6.

When do you use light criteria?

The use of Light’s criteria is recommended when a thoracocentesis revealed a protein level between 25 and 35 g/L to narrow down the differential diagnosis by determining whether a pleural effusion is transudative or exudative.

What is Light’s criteria for pleural effusion?

Light’s criteria (pleural fluid/serum proteines > 0.5; lactatedehydrogenase [LDH] > 2/3 of the upper normal limit in serum; pleural fluid/serum LDH > 0.6) usually used, incorrectly classify some cases, especially transudates.

How do you read light criteria?

Light’s criteria are more accurate for the diagnosis of exudative effusions….Light’s criteria

  1. The ratio of pleural fluid to serum protein is greater than 0.5.
  2. The ratio of pleural fluid to serum LDH is greater than 0.6.
  3. The pleural fluid LDH value is greater than two-thirds of the upper limit of the normal serum value.

Can you use lights criteria for ascites?

Background Modified Light’s criteria are widely used to categorize pleural fluids as either exudates or transudates. Similarly, the serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) is used in the differential diagnosis of ascites, particularly with reference to the prediction of portal hypertension.

What is LD in pleural fluid?

Pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase LDH is a marker of inflammation or cellular injury, so is a sensitive, but non-specific pathological marker. 6. LDH levels of greater than three times the upper limit of normal (often >1,000 U/L) are often indicative of pleural infection, in the appropriate clinical scenario.

What is LDH in exudate?

Fluid is exudate if one of the following Light’s criteria is present: [1, 2, 3, 4] Effusion protein/serum protein ratio greater than 0.5. Effusion lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)/serum LDH ratio greater than 0.6. Effusion LDH level greater than two-thirds the upper limit of the laboratory’s reference range of serum LDH.

What is normal LDH in pleural fluid?

There is no such thing as a “normal” or “abnormal” pleural fluid LDH level. Pleural fluid LDH is useful in distinguishing exudates from transudates. A pleural fluid/serum LDH ratio greater than 0.6 suggests an exudate, whereas the ratio is usually less than 0.6 in a transudate.

What is normal RBC in pleural fluid?

Normally, less than 10,000 RBCs/uL are present in pleural, pericardial and peritoneal fluids. Pleural and pericardial fluids usually have less than 1000 WBC/uL while peritoneal fluid has less than 500 WBC/uL. RBC counts >100,000/uL in pleural fluid are suggestive of malignancy, trauma, or pulmonary infarct.