Thoracentesis needle/catheter
A set consisting of a puncture needle and a flexible catheter advanced over the needle into the pleural space, typically paired with a three-way stopcock.
How it is used
Used to puncture the pleural space and withdraw fluid or air for diagnostic purposes (pleural fluid analysis) or therapeutic relief of an effusion or pneumothorax.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-05.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.