What is empyema?
Empyema is a condition in which pus accumulates in the pleural cavity.
Empyema is diagnosed by listening to the lungs and performing a computerized examination, blood tests. In a large percentage of clinical cases, it is cured with antibiotic therapy, although sometimes drainage of the pus is necessary.
No one is immune from empyema, but risk factors include:
- Pneumonia;
- You are over 70 years old;
- You have had chest surgery;
- Diabetes;
- Blood clot;
- Bronchiectasis;
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Symptoms of empyema are nonspecific and may include the following:
- Chest pain or discomfort;
- Fever;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Cough;
- Severe fatigue;
- Unexplained weight loss.
Typically, empyema develops when an infection spreads from the lung to the pleural cavity.
The most common cause is pneumonia. Other causes may include:
- Tuberculosis;
- Lung abscess;
- Chest surgery;
- Trauma or injury to the chest.
In a large percentage of clinical cases, empyema develops within 4-6 weeks of bacterial invasion of the lung.
Empyema itself is not contagious, although the infection that causes it is contagious (especially pneumonia and tuberculosis).
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24269-empyema
