Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Pleural disease
Disease area: Respiratory infections, Thoracic oncology

Abstract

We report on a consecutive series of 14 patients with complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema who underwent medical thoracoscopy, debridement and placement of a chest tube. Indication for medical thoracoscopy was failed attempt of tube drainage (5 patients) or documented multiloculations by CT chest scan (9 patients). This approach led to immediate clinical improvement in all patients and to definitive cure in 12 out of 14 (85,7%). Two patients underwent open decortication, few days later as an elective procedure.

Organisms Growth	No
No growth	7
Strept. Milleri	2
Staph. Aureus	2
MRSA coag (-)	1
TB	1
Anaerobics	1
Total	14

Mean hospital stay was 3,5 days.
We conclude that thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia is a valuable addition to the treatment options in patients with multiloculated, complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema not responsive to simple tube thoracotomy. The procedure is less taxing for the patient and less expensive than video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under general anaesthesia or open decortication.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
N. Anastasiou, D. Zachilas, M. Adamopoulou, N. Thalassinos, S. Malagaris, G. Papavasileiou, A. Staurakis (Athens, Greece). Treatment of empyema thoracis by medical thoracoscopy. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 543

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