PLEURAL EMPYEMA - ROLE OF ANAEROBIC-BACTE RIA

A retrospective study of 59 cases of pleural empyema was carried out. A local or general contributory factor was found in the greatest part of the patients (80%), Aspiration pneumonia, acute pneumonia or nosoco mial infection were the most frequent aetiological circumstances. Many cases had associated predisposing conditions such as chronic bronchit is, alcoholism or malignancy, Infra diaphragmatic septis are unusual ( 10%). Anaerobes and mixed cultures were isolated in 25 cases (43%) and aerobes for 34 cases. One hundred seventy one organisms (77 aerobic a nd 94 anaerobic organisms) were isolated. The predominant aerobic or f acultative bacteria were Streptococcus intermedius (14), S, pneumoniae (10), Staphylococcus aureus (8) Enterobacteria (13), The predominant anaerobes were Fusobacterium nucleatum (20), Prevotella species (18), Peptostreptococcus species (18).