title: Clinical, Laboratory and Radiographic Features of Patients with Pneumonia and Parapneumonic Effusions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parapneumonic effusions complicating pneumonia are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the role of the clinical, laboratory and radiographic features to the differential diagnosis of patients with community- acquired pneumonia (CAP) without effusion, uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UCPPE) and complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 148 patients with CAP without effusion, 50 with UCPPE and 44 with CPPE. In three groups of patients, the majority was male patients (58.11%, 58%, 61.36%) consequently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chronic heart failure was the most common comorbidity in a group with CAP (28; 18.92%) and UCPPE (7; 14%), alcoholism (12;12.77%) in a group with CPPE. Patients with CPPE had significantly longer fever compared to patients with CAP without effusion (p = 0.003). Pleuritic chest pain (86.36%) and dyspnea (88.64%) were the most common symptoms in CPPE, then to group with UCPPE (60%; 52%), and in CAP without effusion (25.68%; 47,97%). Diffuse pulmonary changes were detected more frequently in the group with CAP without effusion compared with the group with CPPE (64.86 % vs. 27.27 %), while the segment lung changes were more common in patients with CPPE (50% vs. 20.27%). Patients with CPPE were significant with higher erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cells (WBC) and serum C- reactive protein (CRP) than it the other two groups (p = 0.00090, p = 0.01, p= 0.000065).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proper analysis of clinical, laboratory and radiographic features of patients with CAP and parapneumonic effusion can prevent mismanagement in these patients and will reduce morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: University Infectious Diseases Clinic, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petrusevska-Marinkovic
authors.affiliation: University Infectious Diseases Clinic, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kondova-Topuzovska
authors.affiliation: University Infectious Diseases Clinic, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Milenkovic
authors.affiliation: University Thoracocardiovascular Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kondov
authors.affiliation: University Infectious Diseases Clinic, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Ankica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anastasovska
keywords: clinical features; community-acquired pneumonia (CAP); empyema; laboratory features; parapneumonic effusion; radiographic features