title: Video assisted thoracic surgery in a second trimester pregnant woman with thoracic empyema: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An empyema is an infection of the pleural space that occurs most frequently secondary to the progression of pneumonia. The stages of empyema are based on pleural characteristics and reflect the risks of the condition for morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy is a risk factor for major complications of pneumonia, including empyema.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pregnant woman at 25 weeks' gestation with a community-acquired Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia underwent video-assisted thoracotomy decortication and debridement of a large loculated, gelatinous empyema after conservative medical therapy failed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conservative medical therapy with antibiotics alone may not be adequate for advanced bacterial empyema in pregnancy.
authors.forename: Tope
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshodi
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Carlan
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busowski
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000601:surgery*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted