PubMed · 13016099
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H SELLORS. Empyema.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13016099/
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A 57-year-old woman underwent esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy for lower esophageal cancer, followed by gastric roll reconstruction through the posterior mediastinum. A laparotomy and right thoracotomy with partial resection of the right fifth rib were performed. A purulent discharge requiring drainage developed postoperatively and continued for 3 months despite anastomotic integrity and the absence of a bronchopleural fistula. An empyema developed 3 months after drain removal, and a thoracostomy tube was reinserted. A displaced fragment of the right fifth rib was identified within the abscess cavity. Drainage and irrigation were not curative, and removal of the bone fragment was performed 18 months after the initial procedure. The patient has been symptom-free during 1 year of follow-up. We believe that the rib fragment functioned as a foreign body, which complicated treatment of the patient's postoperative infection.
The incidence of pleural effusions in the intensive care unit varies depending on the screening methods, from approximately 8% for physical examination to more than 60% for routine ultrasonography. Several factors contribute to the occurrence of pleural effusions in intensive care unit patients: large amounts of intravenous fluid are often administered, pneumonia is common, and heart failure, atelectasis, extravascular catheter migration, hypoalbuminemia, or liver disease are present in many intensive care unit patients. In surgical intensive care units, cardiac or abdominal surgery is often followed by pleural effusions, and in trauma patients, hemothorax is a dreaded event. Because no clinical parameter excludes pleural infection, and because of the impact of thoracentesis on diagnosis and treatment, this procedure should be performed unless contraindicated. Thoracentesis is safe in mechanically ventilated patients. The author discusses the following points regarding pleural effusions in the intensive care unit: screening intensive care unit patients for pleural effusion, safety of thoracentesis in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, distinguishing exudates from transudates, and diagnosing and managing infected pleural effusions in critically ill patients. Lastly, the author suggests a research agenda for pleural effusions in intensive care unit patients.
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