| Sub-title | |
| Authors | C Fearne V Said Conti |
| Abstract | Introduction: A retrospective study of 22 consecutive cases of children who presented to St Luke's Hospital between January 2000 and December 2005, with a community acquired chest infection which required surgery, was conducted. The presenting symptoms, clinical course and outcomes were monitored and analyzed. Baseline observations and patterns of empyema thoracis in the local community were recorded. Methods and Patients: 22 children were included in the study. The age range was between 3 months and 12 and a half years. The average age was 3 years 8 months. 5 were girls (23%) and 17 were boys (77%). Results: All the children in the study presented with fever (n=22). Most (21 of 22) also had a cough on presentation. The cough was equally divided between dry (n==11) and productive (n=10). Other symptoms on presentation were shortness of breath (n=6), vomiting (n=12), lethargy (n=6), irritability (n=5), epigastric pain (n=10) and tachypnoea (n=9). Conclusions: 1. Ultrasound reporting in empyema thoracis in children by paediatric radiologists will decrease the need for CT scanning. 2. Introduction of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery may result in a shorter hospital stay for selected patients with less trauma to the child. 3. The introduction of guidelines for the treatment of empyema thoracis in children with a community acquired chest infection is recommended. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 18 Supplement |
| Page | |
| Date | 01/12/2006 |
| Link to journal | |
| Key words | community acquired chest infection, empyema thoracis, paediatrics |