Ideal timing of thoracoscopic decortication and drainage for empyema in children

Abstract

Early thoracoscopy is greatly beneficial for children with empyema by shortening disease progression. An initial short trial of medical treatment for nonorganising empyema may be attempted on the condition that thoracoscopy not be delayed more than 4 days.

Parapneumonic Effusion in Children

“…21 The benefits of VATS are drainage of purulent material, decortications of the fibropurulent septa, irrigation of the pleural cavity and visualization of the evacuation to allow reexpansion of the lung. 84 …”

Thoracoscopic treatment of pediatric lung abscesses

“…This patient suffered an iatrogenic tube feed related pneumonia/lung abscess while in the intensive care unit and his pre/postoperative ICU stay, and antibiotic course were prolonged for reasons other than the pneumonia and abscess. Overall, most of our patients had a length of stay that was not markedly different from that of a routine empyema [17].…”

The role of thoracoscopy in the treatment of pleural empyema in children

“…Minimally invasive techniques influence the decision concerning early surgical intervention [6,10,12,13,17]. The most favorable results for patients with stages I and II disease are noted during empyema decompression [5,9,22].…”