Management of parapneumonic pleural effusion

Parapneumonic pleural effusion is a common and potentially serious complication of pneumonia. The management of parapneumonic pleural effusion involves early diagnosis, adequate empiric antibiotic cover, and appropriate risk categorization. High-risk patients require safe and expedient drainage of the infected pleural space. The management options include thoracentesis, tube thoracostomy, adjunctive intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy, and surgical drainage. The methods of surgical drainage include thoracoscopy, thoracotomy, and decortication. The relative clinical efficacy of these treatment options has been studied in a small number of controlled clinical trials, the results of which have been systematically reviewed by expert panels. Based on the limited clinical evidence, expert reviewers were unable to recommend a best method of pleural drainage. However, the consensus is that an aggressive approach with early surgical drainage results in shorter hospital stays and may be more cost-effective than conservative management. This review discusses the clinical evidence and describes an aggressive sequential management strategy that combines intrapleural fibrinolysis with early surgical drainage.