Abstract
Paediatric empyema is usually secondary to an underlying pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be the main causative organism. Other organisms include Group A Streptococcus, Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus anginosus, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus milleri, and the anaerobic Peptostreptococcus. The incidence of paediatric thoracic empyema is increasing globally, and is estimated to be 3.3 per 100,000 children. The highest reported incidence occurs in children under the age of 5 years (53%). The resulting untreated effusion progresses through three stages: exudative, fibropurulent, and organization. Prompt medical management may halt the progression.
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Singh, M., Parikh, D. (2019). Empyema. In: Puri, P., Höllwarth, M. (eds) Pediatric Surgery. Springer Surgery Atlas Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56282-6_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56282-6_15
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