ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ali, I.
Right arrow Articles by Unruh, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ali, I.
Right arrow Articles by Unruh, H.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 50, 355-359, Copyright © 1990 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

ARTICLES

Management of empyema thoracis

I Ali and H Unruh
Department of Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

Over a 5-year period, 65 adult patients with empyema thoracis were treated. The cause of the empyema was postpneumonic in 52%, postresectional in 24%, a complication of minor surgical procedures in 14%, posttraumatic in 5%, and the result of miscellaneous causes in 5%. In the postpneumonic group, infection resulted from a single aerobic organism in 41%, multiple aerobic organisms in 9%, single anaerobic organisms in 12%, and mixed aerobic-anaerobic organisms in 18%. Peptostreptococcus, Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Peptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and diphtheroids were the most common organisms, accounting for 55% of bacterial isolates. All 34 patients with postpneumonic empyema were initially treated with drainage, which was successful in two thirds. The remainder, 12 patients, ultimately required thoracotomy. Decortication was combined with intrathoracic transposition of extrathoracic skeletal muscles in 9 patients. There was no reoperation or recurrence of infection, and thoracoplasty was avoided; residual spaces were filled by the transposed muscle.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
N. A. Maskell, S. Batt, E. L. Hedley, C. W. H. Davies, S. H. Gillespie, and R. J. O. Davies
The Bacteriology of Pleural Infection by Genetic and Standard Methods and Its Mortality Significance
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 1, 2006; 174(7): 817 - 823.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc Am Thorac SocHome page
R. W. Light
Parapneumonic effusions and empyema.
Proceedings of the ATS, January 1, 2006; 3(1): 75 - 80.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ThoraxHome page
C W H Davies, F V Gleeson, and R J O Davies
BTS guidelines for the management of pleural infection
Thorax, May 1, 2003; 58(90002): ii18 - 28.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J. D. Urschel, D. M. Urschel, S. M. Mannella, J. G. Antkowiak, T. A. Horan, and W. F. Bennett
Duration of knowledge in general thoracic surgery
Ann. Thorac. Surg., January 1, 2001; 71(1): 337 - 339.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
G. L. Colice, A. Curtis, J. Deslauriers, J. Heffner, R. Light, B. Littenberg, S. Sahn, R. A. Weinstein, and R. D. Yusen
Medical and Surgical Treatment of Parapneumonic Effusions : An Evidence-Based Guideline
Chest, October 1, 2000; 118(4): 1158 - 1171.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1990 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.