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Definitive identification of the diaphragm is essential in order to localize a pleural effusion. This is required for safe thoracentesis, as inadvertent subdiaphragmatic device insertion is a potentially catastrophic complication of thoracentesis. The 3.5 MHz transducer is in longitudinal orientation and placed perpendicular to the chest wall to scan through the 9th intercostal space in the right mid-axillary line.