Empyema is a collection of pus in between the space of the lung and chest wall. It is an infection that spreads from the lungs and leads to a build up of fluid in the pleural space. Symptoms of this condition include chest pain, cough, dyspnea, fever, and sometimes weight loss.
Empyema has several possible causes but is most often is an associated complication of pneumonia.
Empyema has several possible causes but is most often is an associated complication of pneumonia.
There are three phases of empyema. The acute phase that fills the lung cavity with thin purulent fluid, second stage in which the fluid thickens, and then a third stage in which the lung is covered with a thick fibrous material. The third phase can only be cured with a thoracotomy to remove that thick fluid and scrape the lining of the lung of the fibrous material. In the earlier phases antibiotics or drainages can help clear the infection.
When this infection complicates pneumonia it raises the risk of death and permanent damage to lung tissue significantly. But, with long term antibiotic therapy and drainages the patient most often recovers.
