Empyema and bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in children under five years of age

• Published in: Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 69 - 72
• Main Authors: Cardoso, Maria Regina Alves, Nascimento-Carvalho, Cristiana Maria Costa, Ferrero, Fernando, Berezin, Eitan Naaman, Ruvinsky, Raul, Sant'Anna, Clemax Couto, Brandileone, Maria Cristina de Cunto, March, Maria de Fátima Bazhuni Pombo, Maggi, Ruben, Feris-Iglesias, Jesus, Benguigui, Yehuda, Camargos, Paulo Augusto Moreira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Brief Communication; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Empiema pleural; Empyema - diagnosis; Empyema - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Infeccoes pneumococicas; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Male; Patient Readmission; Pneumonia pneumococica; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal - epidemiology; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; Risk Assessment; Empiema pleural; Pneumonia pneumococica; Pneumonia, pneumococcal; Empyema, pleural; Pneumococcal infections; Infeccoes pneumococicas
• ISSN: 1806-3713; 1806-3756; 1806-3756
• DOI: 10.1590/S1806-37132014000100010

We compared bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia (BPP) and pneumococcal empyema (PE), in terms of clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings, in under-fives. A cross-sectional nested cohort study, involving under-fives (102 with PE and 128 with BPP), was conducted at 12 centers in Argentina, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. Among those with PE, mean age was higher; disease duration was longer; and tachypnea, dyspnea, and high leukocyte counts were more common. Among those with BPP, fever and lethargy were more common. It seems that children with PE can be distinguished from those with BPP on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Because both conditions are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, prompt diagnosis is crucial.