[Retrospective study of 77 cases of purulent pleurisy]

77 cases of non-tuberculous empyema were studied retrospectively. The data of past history, laboratory, radiological, bacteriological and outcome were gathered. The mean delay between initial symptoms and clinical diagnosis was 2.6 weeks in this study. It was longer for those anaerobic features (p less than 0.02) whose details were unravelled. "Blind" antibiotic therapy before the first pleural aspirate is still common (46.7% of cases) and did not alter the frequency with which the causal bacteria was found, nor the distribution of the bacterial population. Pleural aspirate enabled the germ or germs responsible to be identified in 63% of cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 15) and anaerobic bacterias (n = 26) infections were predominant. Early pleural drainage in a trained unit care is the essential element in the treatment in association with appropriate antibiotics and prolonged physiotherapy. This triple therapy approach leads to a medical cure in practically all the patients and avoids a recourse to surgery.