Long-Term Outcome for Children with Pleural Empyema Is Good

Pleural empyema is a complication that affects about 15% of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. Many studies have examined short-term outcomes (e.g., length of stay) associated with inpatient management options for pleural empyema (e.g., intravenous [IV] antibiotics alone, chest tube with or without fibrinolytic therapy, or video-assisted thorascopic surgery [VATS]). Researchers at a tertiary hospital in Toronto prospectively studied outcomes at 1, 6, and 12 months after discharge in 82 children (age range, 0–18 years) who were hospitalized with pleural empyema. The children had an average of 8 days of fever before admission and a median total length of stay of 12 days. A chest drain was placed in 62% (78% with fibrinol…