title: Postpneumonic empyema in children treated by early decortication.
abstract: We performed early decortication in 32 cases of postpneumonic empyema during the period of February 1991 to December 1995. Twenty of them were male and 12 of them were female. We evaluated these cases retrospectively. Decortication was saved for the patients where antimicrobial therapy and closed-tube drainage had failed to achieve a cure and was performed on the 10-15th day after the diagnosis was established. Indications for the decortication were persistent fever (9), pulmonary air leakage (7), localized effusion (7), persistent respiratory distress (5) and pleural thickening without resolution (28). Decortication was performed through the standard posterolateral thoracotomy. Patients were discharged on the 8th postoperative day with minimal morbidity and no mortality. Because of the simplicity of the procedure (short hospitalization periods, low mortality and morbidity rates) good results were achieved with early decortication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizalar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somuncu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aritürk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Günaydin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gürses
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015505:Chest Tubes; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010994:Pleura / Q000601:surgery; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents