All issues > Volume 26(7); 1983

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1983;26(7):667-674. Published online July 31, 1983.

A Clinical Observations on Pyothorax in Children.

S H Kim¹, H I Lee¹, T C Kwon¹, C M Kang¹

¹Pediatric Department, Keimyung University, School of Medicine, Daegu，Korea

Abstract

The is the report of clinical observations on 132 cases of pyothorax in children under the age of 15 years which were admitted to the Pediatric Department, Keimyung University, School of Medicine during the period of 16 years from Jan. 1966 through Dec. 1981. The following results are obtained.The incidence has tendency of increasing for recent 3 years and 61.3% of cases has occurred during the winter & spring season. The incidence is highest between 1 〜3 years group and 67.4% of total cases were seen under the age of 3 years. The male to female ratio was 2 ： 1. The cardinal symptoms were fever(84.1%), coughing(74.2%) and dyspnea(47.0%). The most frequent antecedent infection was pneumonia(75.8%) and 30% of pyothorax complicated with pneumothorax. Causative organisms were cultured from 35.6% of the cases. The commonest organism was staphylococcus aureus, cultured form 36 cases(76.6%). Diplococcus pneumoniae and streptococci found 8 cases(17.0%) and 3 cases(6.4%) respectively. 39.3% of cases needed 10〜29 hospital days. Ths mortality was 5.7% in antibiotics group, 5.0% in combined group with antibiotics & surgical treatment. The over all mortality was 5. 3%.

Keywords :Pyothorax in children.