What is the best treatment for empyema?
11 Jul, 07 | by BMJ Group
A 7 year old child with a history of cough and fever for 1 week, has bronchial breathing over her left lower zone on auscultation. A diagnosis of lobar pneumonia is made, confirmed on plain chest x-ray, and she is treated with appropriate intravenous antibiotics. However, she continues to have a spiking fever and develops signs of a left sided pleural effusion. Repeat chest x-ray shows a ‘white out’ of the left chest with no mediastinal shift. She is referred to the regional thoracic centre for consideration of thoracotomy and drainage of a left sided parapneumonic effusion. Should she be referred to the surgeons and if so, what should they do?
