Pleural effusion = fluid around, but not inside of, the lungs. It is treated using thoracentesis. Suction = for removing secretions inside of the larger airways. Consolidation = fluid inside of the lungs, specifically within the alveoli. It prevents oxygen exchange and there is no specific procedure that can address it. Medical management focuses on tricks like proning that can increase ventilation to areas of lung that have less consolidation. If both lungs have consolidation in the majority of lung units, the patient cannot be saved even on a ventilator. In this case ECMO is a possibility, but ECMO resources are very limited and the lungs might not ever recover enough to start working again.