RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Thoracic empyema: a study of 56 patients.
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 587
OP 588
DO 10.1136/adc.69.5.587
VO 69
IS 5
A1 E D Mangete
A1 B B Kombo
A1 T E Legg-Jack
YR 1993
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/69/5/587.abstract
AB Fifty seven children with thoracic empyema (37 boys and 20 girls) aged less than 12 years were seen at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between January 1989 and December 1991. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated from the pus of these patients (36 (63%) patients). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the next most common organism, was isolated in 10 (18%) patients. The most common symptoms at presentation were acute illness with fever and cough (51 (89%) patients). All the patients were treated with closed intercostal tube drainage and appropriate antibiotics. Decortication was resorted to in only one patient. There were two deaths and the overall survival rate was 97%.