Lung abscess: Analysis of the results as community-acquired or nosocomial

Abstract

Aim: To assess the etiology, underlying disease, treatment procedures, and mortality rate of lung abscesses by dividing the patients into community-acquired lung abscess (CALA) and nosocomial lung abscess (NLA) subgroups. Materials and methods: We reviewed and analyzed data on 62 adult cases of CALA and NLA treated during 2000-2011 at a tertiary university hospital in Turkey. Results: Of these 62 patients, 44 had CALA and 18 had NLA. Etiologic microorganisms were isolated in 20 of the 44 patients (45.4%) in the CALA group and in 15 of the 18 patients (83.3%) in the NLA group. Among these patients, Staphylococcus aureus (20.0%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.7%) were the most common microorganisms in the CALA and NLA groups, respectively. Computed tomography-guided drainage was performed in 20 patients in the study and the abscess was cured in 17 (85%) patients. The overall mortality rate was 12.9%. It was 4.5% and 33.3% in the CALA and NLA groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Lung abscess continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality despite appropriate treatment. Medical therapy is started empirically, and so it is important to separate patients into subgroups of CLA or NLA. © TÜBİTAK.