Empyema is the accumulation of pus between the lung and the pleural space. Often this is a complication of pneumonia caused by bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia or Haemophilus influenza.
Causes of Empyema:
Empyema is caused when the infection spreads to the lungs. Hence, pus develops in the pleural space. There may be pint or excess infected fluid. This liquid puts pressure on lungs.
Risk factors for empyema include:
- Chest injury or trauma
- Thoracic surgery
- Lung abscess
- Bacterial pneumonia
Rarely, empyema may occur when the needle is inserted into the chest wall to collect the fluid from the pleural space.
Symptoms of Empyema:
Empyema symptoms include:
- Unintentional weight loss
- Shortness of breath
- Uneasiness, ill feeling (malaise) or general discomfort
- Chills and fever
- Excessive sweating during nights
- Dry cough
- Chest pain that worsens with deep breathe
Diagnosis for Empyema:
The health care provider may notice the decrease in breath sounds or friction rub when they listen to the chest with stethoscope. Diagnosis tests may include:
- Thoracentesis
- Pleural fluid gram stain and the culture
- Computed Tomography scan of the chest
- Chest X-ray
Treatments for Empyema:
The aim of the treatment is to cure the infection and also remove the pus accumulated in the lung. Health care provider may prescribe antibiotics for controlling the infection.
The doctor places a chest tube to drain the pus completely. Surgeon is required for performing the procedure to peel away the lung lining, if lung doesn’t expand properly.
Prognosis of Empyema:
When empyema complicates pneumonia, lung damage can occur permanently and death goes up. A person suffering from empyema requires long term treatment with fluid draining procedure and antibiotics. However, most of the people recover completely from empyema.
Complications of Empyema:
- Decrease in lung functioning
- Pleural thickening
Seek the health care provider’s attention, if the symptoms develop. An effective and a prompt treatment may avoid empyema to certain extent.
