Lights Criteria
- MD Calc
- Purpose: Determine transudative vs exudative pleural effusions
- Pleural fluid is an exudate if one or more of the following criteria are met:
- Pleural fluid protein divided by serum protein is >0.5
- Pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) divided by serum LDH is >0.6
- Pleural fluid LDH >2/3 the upper limits of laboratory normal value for serum LDH.
| Light’s Criteria | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Light’s Criteria (1 or more of the following | 98 | 83 |
| Pleural fluid protein / Serum protein >0.5 | 86 | 84 |
| Pleural fluid LDH / Serum LDH >0.6 | 90 | 82 |
| Pleural fluid LDH > 2/3 * Serum LDH upper limit of normal | 82 | 89 |
References:
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