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Published on: March 2, 2020

Percutaneous drainage of pyogenic lung abscess

Siraj O Wali1, Abeer Shugaeri, Yassen S Samman

  • 1Respiratory Section, Department of Medicine, King Khalid National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. waliso@ngha.med.sa

Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
|October 11, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Percutaneous transthoracic tube drainage (PTTD) offers a safe and effective alternative for managing lung abscesses when antibiotics fail. This minimally invasive procedure demonstrates acceptable complication and mortality rates for refractory cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Thoracic Surgery

Background:

  • Lung abscesses are typically treated with antibiotics, with an 80-90% success rate.
  • Treatment failure necessitates alternative approaches, often pulmonary resection.
  • Percutaneous transthoracic tube drainage (PTTD) is a less invasive, albeit controversial, option.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the medical literature on PTTD for lung abscesses over the past 25 years.
  • To evaluate the efficacy, indications, technique, complications, and mortality associated with PTTD.
  • To assess PTTD as a management tool for refractory lung abscesses.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of medical literature.
  • Analysis of studies published within the last 25 years.
  • Focus on PTTD in patients with lung abscesses.

Main Results:

  • PTTD is a safe, simple, and efficacious treatment for refractory lung abscesses.
  • Procedure-related complications occurred in 9.7% of cases (e.g., catheter occlusion, pneumothorax).
  • The overall mortality rate for lung abscess was 4.8%.

Conclusions:

  • PTTD is a viable and effective alternative to surgery for refractory lung abscesses.
  • The complication and mortality rates associated with PTTD are acceptable.
  • PTTD represents a valuable minimally invasive option in managing complex lung abscess cases.

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