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How do you approach treatment of septated parapneumonic pleural effusions that do not satisfy traditional criteria for complicated effusion after diagnostic thoracentesis?

Is there any role of tube thoracostomy as opposed to only antibiotics?
1 Answer
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Pulmonology · Augusta University
Answered on

Septated effusion is a complicated effusion, whether it is empyema, parapneumonic, or malignant, and usually, they are exudative. By definition, untreated parapneumonic effusion will become empyema.

Septations <4-6 week duration are usually fibrinous and can be lysed with tPa/DNase instilled through...

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