Alteplase and DNase for the treatment of pleural empyema in rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adjunctive intrapleural fibrinolytic is an option to treat empyema at fibrinopurulent stage, but there is controversy about which should be use. Our objective is to evaluate the action of alteplase and/or desoxyribonuclease at physical and chemical properties in vitro pus derived from an experimental induced empyema in rats. METHODS: Streptococcus pneumoniae was introduced into the pleural cavity by thoracentesis through pleural pressure monitor. Animals were euthanized after 24 h, with macroscopic thoracic evaluation and measurement of amount of intrapleural liquid that was posteriorly stored at -80 °C. Selected samples were randomly distributed into four groups, then thawed at room temperature before exposure to one of the following: G1 = alteplase (n = 12), G2 = DNase (n = 12), G3 = alteplase + DNase (n = 12), or G4 = saline (n = 6). The mean molecular size in the fluid portion of the empyema was evaluated using dynamic light scattering; viscosity of the empyema fluid was measured using the drip method. RESULTS: Macroscopic showed purulent liquid, with fibrin and septation, with mean volume of 4.16 ml (0.5-8 ml). All samples were culture-positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Comparing with control, all experimental groups presented reduction of larger than 135 nm molecular size, but there was only significant difference with alteplase (p = 0,02). Viscosity reduced at all experimental groups, but increased at control. DNase group presented negative median (-5 mPa/s) of viscosity, and differed significantly from that observed in the control group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Alteplase, DNase and alteplase + DNase changed significantly physical and chemical properties of experimental empyema at fibrinopurulent phase: alteplase reduced molecular size larger than 135 nm and DNase reduced viscosity.

Clinical, functional, and radiological outcome in children with pleural empyema.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have prospectively evaluated recovery process and long-term consequences of pleural space infections. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical, pulmonary, and diaphragmatic function and radiological outcome in patients hospitalized with pleural empyema. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Previously healthy patients from 6 to 16 years were enrolled. Demographic, clinical, and treatment data were registered. At hospital discharge, and every 30 days or until normalization, patients underwent a clinical evaluation, diaphragmatic ultrasound, and lung function testing. Chest radiographs were performed at subsequent visits only if abnormalities persisted. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included. Nineteen (63%) were male, with an age of (mean ± SD) 9.7 ± 3.2 years, and body mass index (mean ± SD) 18.6 ± 3. Twelve patients (40%) were treated with chest tube drainage only, 12 (40%) exclusively with surgery, and 6 (20%) completed treatment with surgery due to an ineffective chest tube drainage. At hospital discharge, 26 (87%) of patients had abnormal breath sounds at the site of infection, 28 (93%) had a spirometric restrictive pattern, 19 (63%) diaphragmatic motion impairment, and 29 (97%) presented radiological involvement of pleural space, mainly pleural thickening. All patients had recovered diaphragmatic motion and were asymptomatic at 90- and 120-day follow-up control, respectively. Then, with a great individual variability, radiological findings, and lung function returned to normal at 60 days (range 30-180) and 90 days (range 30-180) after hospital discharge, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with pleural empyema had a complete and progressive recovery, with initial clinical and diaphragmatic motion normalization followed by radiological and lung function recovery.

Clinical profile of pleural empyema and associated factors with prolonged hospitalization in paediatric tertiary centre in Angola, Luanda.

In a case series of 152 children aged from 2 to 132 months will pleural emphema from a paediatric tertiary hospital in Luanda, Angola between September 2004 and March 2005, the authors found a high prevalence of anaemia and malnutrition. The most prevalent bacteria in pleural fluid were: D pneumoniae, Haemophyllus and S aureus. The median for hospital stay was 25 days. The lethality was 7.8% and was not statistically associated with malnutrition, although this variable was associated, in multivariate analysis, with prolonged hospitalization time.

Empiema pleural / Pleural empyema

Aún cuando su frecuencia ha disminuido en los últimos años el empiema pleural sigue constituyendo un importante problema quirúrgico debido a su mortalidad y evolución prolongada. Se analiza una csuística de 38 casos estudiados y tratados entre 1990 y 1995 y conformada por 29 hombres (76 porciento) y 9 mujeres (24 porciento). El diagnóstico se basó en la clínica (síntomas y signod); radiografía de tórax; toracocentesis diagnóstica y estudio bacteriológico del líquido pleural. Este último fue negativo en el 22 porciento y de los casos positivos el 59 porciento demostró flora patógena polimicrobiana y el 28 porciento anaerobios

Empiema pleural / Empyema pleural

O empiema pleural corresponde ao acúmulo de pus no espaço pleural, sendo em 50 por cento dos casos secundário a uma infecçäo pulmonar. O exame bacteriológico na maioria das vezes revela uma infecçäo mista por aeróbios e anaeróbios. Os sinais e sintomas säo: febre, taquipneia, taquicardia, tosse, dor torácica e um exame físico de derrame pleural. O hemograma apresenta leucocitose com desvio a esquerda e a radiografia do tórax mostra a presença de líquido no espaço pleural. O diagnóstico é confirmado pela toracocentese e o tratamento depende da fase evolutiva.

Infección pleuropulmonar y sus complicaciones en el niño. Tratamiento quirúrgico: experiencia de 20 años / Pleuropulmonar infections and their complications in childhood: surgical management. a twenty years experience

Entre los años 1974 y 1994, doscientos niños con empiema fueron operados. Ciento sesenta y seis fueron posneumónicos, doce postrauma, diez por peritonitis generalizada, seis abscesos hepáticos amibianos, cuatro por dehiscencia de esófago y dos por pancreatitis. Ciento diez fueron del sexo masculino y 90 del femenino. El rango de edad fue de un mes a 15 años. Los síntomas fueron: mal estado general, quejido constante, insuficiencia respiratoria, síndrome pleural y fiebre. Los cultivos reportaron múltiples bacterias aerobias y anaerobias. El diagnóstico se realizó con radiografías PA, lateral y en decúbito, ultrasonido, tomografía axial computada y tomografía lineal. El tratamiento fue toracocentesis, antibióticos de amplio espectro y para anaerobios, toracostomía, sonda pleural y decorticación con o sin resección pulmonar. La estancia media hospitalaria fue de 27.5 días y con la decorticación temprana disminuyó a diez díaz

Patología y cirugía de tórax en el Hospital Juárez de México, SSA / Pathology and thoracic surgery at the Hospital Juaréz de México, SSA

La patología tumoral y no tumoral estudiada y tratada quirúrgicamente en el Hospital Juárez de México, SSA, es multiforme, tanto por su variedad etiológica como por la modalidad quirúrgica a la que tiene que recurrirse para su solución. Es una patología problemática porque a unos pasos del tercer milenio aún tenemos casos que constituyen hoy en día un problema de salud pública como el empiema postneumónico (36.63 por ciento). Otros generados hace una década y que van en aumento en proporción geométrica, como el tórax traumático (.9 por ciento) y la patologia tumoral (9 por ciento) en que bien poco se puede actuar médica o quirúrgicamente, por el grado tan avanzado en que los pacientes llegan a los hospitales del Sector Salud. Se analiza el grado de yatrogenia, (14 por ciento) de nuestro propio hospital. La cirugía de urgencía se realizó en el 26 por ciento de los casos. Se obtuvieron buenos resultados en el 97 por ciento de los pacientes

Atuaçäo da fisioterapia respiratória no empiema pleural / Actuation of respiratory physiotherapy on pleura empyema

O Empiema Pleural é uma coleçäo de líquido purulento entre os dois folhetos pleurais. Apresenta-se com extensäo e gravidade variáveis, dependendo da etiologia e do grau de comprometimento pulmonar. Na sua fase inicial o tratamento torna-se mais simples e a fisioterapia respiratória tem uma contribuiçäo acentuada na melhora do paciente e recuperaçäo da funçäo pulmonar, pois quando o empiema torna-se crônico exige uma atuaçäo mais enérgica que seria o emprego de método cirúrgico, que muitas vezes traz danos à funçäo pulmonar