Empyema thoracis causes high mortality, and its incidence is increasing in both children and adults. Parapneumonic effusions (PPEs) develop in about one-half of patients hospitalized with pneumonia, and their presence increases mortality by about four-fold. PPEs can be divided into simple PPEs, complicated PPEs, and frank empyema. Two guideline statements on the management of PPEs in adults hav...

Results A total of 40 patients were admitted and treated during the period with a male to female ratio of 2.6:1. The mean age was 29.5 years. The most common indication for thoracotomy in our series is chronic empyema thoracis, which accounted for 16 (40%) of all the thoracotomies, chest trauma was an indication in 12 (30%) of cases. Eight patients out of 12 (66.7%) had emergency thoracotomy. O...

OBJECTIVES To determine predictors for surgical intervention of thoracic empyema in children, and its associated morbidity. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of children with empyema thoracis admitted in the Maternity and Children Hospital, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia between January 2007 and January 2012. The data extracted included: socio-demographic ...

53 children with infective pericarditis were seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, between 1967 and 1976. Their ages ranged from 10 days to 15 years but 53% of them were aged 5 years and below. Cough, fever, and breathlessness were the most common symptoms; cardiac decompensation was evident in over 30% of them, 23% had muffled heart sounds, but a pericardial friction rub was audible...

OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to determine the feasibility of emergency lung resection for massive haemoptysis without preoperative bronchial artery embolization (BAE). The potential for fatal recurrent haemoptysis following BAE may be avoided if surgery is undertaken instead. Furthermore, if the outcomes for emergency lung resection with and without BAE are equivalent, it may be ...