EMPYEMA IN CHILDREN

Empyemas develop following bacterial pneumonias, thoracic trauma and s urgery which are still among the common diseases, causing illness and death throughout the developing world, With the advent of potent antib iotics the mortality of empyema has been drastically reduced. In this study 52 patients (29 boys and 23 girls) with thoracic empyema were ev aluated retrospectively. In this series the causes of empyema were pos tpneumonic in 50 patients, esophageal anostomotic leak in one patient, and thoracic trauma in one patient, The diagnosis was suspected clini cally and by the finding of a pleural effusion on chest roentgenogram. Definitive diagnosis was confirmed by pleural aspiration which pus wa s obtained, Responsible organisms included; Staphylococcus aureus, Str eptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, pseudomonas, and Klebsiel la, The most common is Staphylococcus aureus. The patients were treate d in various ways; 14 patients were treated with antibiotics and thora centesis, 38 patients were treated with a closed tube thoracostomy, Ei ght of 38 patients had the chest tube converted to an open empyema tub es for long term management, Fourteen of 38 patients developed abcess formation, Nine of 14 patients were treated with computed tomography g uided catheter placement, five patients encountered thoracotomy and de cortication, In this article, appropriate treatment and result of long -term follow-up of empyema were evaluated.