The length of time it takes to extract pleural effusion is determined by the length of time it takes to find the true cause of the pleural effusion and to be able to effectively treat the underlying cause of the pleural effusion, which usually takes about 1-3 days to extract. For example, for the most common thoracic trauma, pleural effusion caused by rib fracture, the extraction can be completed in about 1 day as long as a small syringe or a closed chest drain of about 1mm is placed into the chest cavity to drain the residual pleural fluid. The length of time to extract pleural effusion from tuberculous pleural cavity is determined by the length of time it takes for tuberculosis drugs to take effect and effectively treat tuberculous pleural effusion, which is usually about 3 days. There are also pleural effusions caused by heart failure and malignant tumors such as lung cancer, which take longer to treat, usually about 1 week.