Keep the old, in with the new: The changing face of pleural effusions

Pleural effusion (PE) is a collection of fluid in the pleural space and is a common complication of pneumonia in children. Despite advances in prevention and management, pneumonia remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 15% of deaths in children under 5 years worldwide.[1] Developing countries are disproportionately affected as more than 95% of all global cases of clinical pneumonia occur in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.[2,3] In this context, improvements in the incidence and severity of pneumonia in children have been achieved due to strategies such as reducing paediatric HIV and immunisation with conjugate vaccines. However, these successes are threatened by a lack of diagnostic infrastructure, human resources, and funding.