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Persistent abnormal lung function after childhood empyema

Gary L Kohn1, Cathy Walston, Julie Feldstein

  • 1Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. gary.kohn@ahsys.org

American Journal of Respiratory Medicine : Drugs, Devices, and Other Interventions
|January 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Pulmonary function tests in children recovering from empyema show a high incidence of restrictive patterns shortly after discharge. Lung function significantly improves over time, with most children demonstrating normal lung function one year post-discharge.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Empyema is a serious chest infection in children.
  • Long-term respiratory outcomes after pediatric empyema require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess pulmonary function test (PFT) results in children at various stages of recovery from empyema.
  • To track changes in lung function over time following hospital discharge for empyema.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted at an academic children's hospital.
  • Pediatric patients diagnosed with empyema between 1992 and 2000 were included.
  • Pulmonary function tests were analyzed at different time points post-discharge.

Main Results:

  • Within 3 months of discharge, 91% of PFTs showed a restrictive pattern, with reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) and total lung capacity (TLC).
  • Lung function restriction significantly decreased over time; patients tested over 1 year post-discharge had improved mean FVC (87.1%) and TLC (95.0%).
  • However, some children (>1 year post-discharge) still exhibited mild restrictive (19%) or obstructive (16%) changes, though asymptomatic.

Conclusions:

  • Children recovering from empyema frequently show restrictive lung function patterns early after hospital discharge.
  • Lung function generally normalizes over time, with most children achieving normal PFTs by one year.
  • Asymptomatic mild lung function abnormalities may persist in a minority of children long-term.
Abstract

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