[Modern tailored therapy for pleural empyema].

Abstract

In spite of the development and widespread avail-ability of modern antibiotics, pleural empyema still represents a serious intrathoracic disease -associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions and empyema have an increased morbidity and mortality due at least in part to inappropriate and delayed management of pleural space infections. Timely diagnosis of pleural empyema and rapid initiation of the appropriate surgical treatment modality represent keystone principles for efficient treatment of thoracic -empyema. Simple drainage, minimally invasive surgical treatment modalities (VATS) and image-guided small-bore catheters in combination with adjunctive fibrinolytic drugs have extended the potential therapeutic arsenal. Individual case management with a flexible selection of the most appropriate treatment modality by experienced thoracic surgeons may lead to improved outcomes. In this context a summary of the most recent opinions and results in thoracic empyema management is outlined in the present review.

• Authors: M E Eichhorn, H Winter, G Preissler, R Hatz, M Lindner
• Journal: Zentralblatt fur Chirurgie (Zentralbl Chir) Vol. 136 Issue 1 Pg. 34-41 (Feb 2011) ISSN: 1438-9592 [Electronic] Germany
• Vernacular Title: Stadienadaptierte moderne Therapie des Pleuraempyems.
• PMID: 21337291 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart ˙ New York.

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents

Topics

• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Chest Tubes
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Early Diagnosis
• Empyema, Pleural (classification, diagnosis, mortality, surgery)
• Humans
• Lung Abscess (diagnosis, mortality, surgery)
• Postoperative Complications (classification, diagnosis, mortality, surgery)
• Prognosis
• Reoperation
• Surgery, Computer-Assisted
• Survival Rate
• Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
• Thoracoscopy
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed