Light's Criteria (Pleural Effusion) — free guideline decision tool
Classify a pleural effusion as exudate or transudate with Light's criteria.
Open guideline tool →Guideline-based
Implements the decision logic from published clinical guidelines.
Runs in your browser
No installation. Enter the patient's values and get a guideline recommendation instantly.
Data stays local
Nothing is uploaded. Results are for licensed clinicians only.
Common questions
What does Light's Criteria (Pleural Effusion) do?
Direct the work-up of a pleural effusion.
How is the result calculated?
Exudate if any: pleural/serum protein > 0.5, pleural/serum LDH > 0.6, or pleural LDH > ⅔ of the serum LDH upper limit of normal.
Is this a substitute for clinical judgement?
No. All results are decision-support only, for licensed clinicians. They must be individualized to the whole patient and the latest guideline version.
Run Light's Criteria (Pleural Effusion) now
Classify a pleural effusion as exudate or transudate with Light's criteria.
Open guideline tool →For licensed clinicians. Not a substitute for clinical judgement.