[Empyema of the thorax]

The authors evaluated the therapeutic procedure and results in patients with empyema of the chest. From December 1996 till June 1998 at the Surgical Clinic of the Third Medical Faculty, Charles University Prague 21 patients with empyema of the chest were hospitalized. The most frequent cause of empyema of the chest was pneumonia in 13 patients (62%). In 16 patients (in 76%) the empyema was classified as the third stage of the disease. Decortication, the most frequent procedure, was performed in 16 patients, incl. three where it was done using videothoracoscopy. Surgical treatment was supplemented by antimicrobial treatment, either monotherapy or a combination of antimicrobial preparations. From the total number one patient died 25 days after thoracotomy and partial decortication with a mesiotheloma of the pleura. The other patients have no signs of relapse of empyema. According to the authors experience the selection of the surgical procedure depends on the stage of the disease. In the authors group decortication by the thoracotomic route was used most frequently.