title: Empyema thoracis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the management of Empyema Thoracis in the surgical department of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen cases with Empyema thoraces treated in the surgical department of the hospital with different modalities of treatment was taken for study and analyzed for morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there was a single mortality in the thoracotomy group. Video assisted thoracic surgery or VATS debridement or deloculation was successful in the eight of the patients with shorter stay in the hospital. One patient who refused surgery was treated with streptokinase with good result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Streptokinase may be effective in the treatment of empyemas. Video assisted thoracic surgery or VATS has definite advantage over traditional surgery in terms decreased morbidity, mortality, earlier hospital discharge and cosmesis in the treatment of empyema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, Nepal. drsingh5@yahoo.com
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thapa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013908:Thoracotomy; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D013300:Streptokinase