A Case of Empyema and a Review of Practice in a District General Hospital

Abstract

The authors describe an empyema in an immunosuppressed patient. Thoracentesis was attempted and only 60 mL of pus was obtained from her pleural space. She was treated as an outpatient with antibiotic therapy. The authors have recently performed a review of all cases of pleural infection between December 2016 and December 2017 in their trust, of which there were 36. Here, they describe failings that have now been addressed and which helped in managing this particular case. As a result of this review, the authors have developed a pleural procedure form that encompasses all of the recommendations from their case review.