title: Empyema thoracis in adults in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Empyema thoracis in adults is an uncommon disease in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. In a period of seven years (1988 to 1994), 24 patients were treated for empyema thoracis with a hospital incidence of about 23 patients in 100,000 admissions. The community acquired empyemas are more common and less aggressive in non-Saudi patients (six males and one female) as compared to Saudi patients (11 males and 6 females) whose empyemas are mostly nosocomial with an aggressive course. The peak age in both Saudi and non-Saudi patients is 45 years and 25 years respectively, and the right pleura is more commonly affected than the left pleura in both groups. Risk factors include diabetes mellitus, pulmonary tuberculosis, post-pneumonectomy infections, trauma and pneumonia. The commonest organisms grown are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species and Staphylococcus aureus, although in almost 40% of the patients the empyemas were sterile. The commonest method of treatment was closed thoracostomy tube drainage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Abba, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teklu
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: al-Saigh
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Malatani
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: al Shehry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batouk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jastaniah
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Softah
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015505:Chest Tubes; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D017678:Sex Distribution