Thoracoscopy in pediatric pleural empyema: a prospective study of prognostic factors

Pediatric empyema: Are ultrasound characteristics at the time of intervention predictive of reintervention?

BACKGROUND

Parapneumonic effusions and empyema are the most frequent complication of pediatric pneumonia. Interventions include chest drain and fibrinolytics (CDF) or thoracoscopic surgery. CDF is considered less invasive, and more cost-effective though with higher rates of reintervention. We hypothesized that sonographic pleural fluid characteristics could identify cases at increased risk of reintervention following primary CDF.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of complicated pneumonia managed with primary CDF (2011-2018). Cases were reviewed using ultrasound criteria to describe pleural fluid. We analyzed the correlation between ultrasound findings and reintervention.

RESULTS

We report 129 cases with a median age of 3.8 years and 44% female. A repeat intervention occurred for 24/129 (19%) cases. The interobserver reliability was moderate for the number of septations (κ 0.72, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0.62-0.81), weak for the size of the largest locule (κ 0.55, 95% CI: 0.44-0.67), and minimal for the level of echogenicity (κ 0.24, 95% CI: 0.11-0.37), pleural thickening (κ 0.29, 95% CI: 0.17-0.42), maximum effusion depth (κ 0.37, 95% CI: 0.22-0.51), and radiologist's risk for reintervention (κ 0.34, 95% CI: 0.18-0.5). A repeat intervention was not associated with any objective sonographic variable.

CONCLUSION

We report no association between ultrasound characteristics and repeat intervention for complicated pneumonia following primary CDF treatment. There was minimal interobserver agreement in reporting ultrasound characteristics despite more objective criteria. Clinicians rely on ultrasound findings to support decisions around intervention in pediatric empyema. This study does not support relying on ultrasound to estimate the likelihood of reintervention.

Entzündliche und infektiöse Erkrankungen der Lunge und Pleura bei Kindern und Jugendlichen

Entzündliche Erkrankungen der Lunge und Pleura bei Kindern und Jugendlichen umfassen ein weites Spektrum von der komplizierten Pneumonie, der Tuberkulose, Mykosen bis hin zur Echinokokkose. Die Häufigkeit hängt stark von der geografischen Herkunft ab. Diese Übersichtsarbeit gibt einen Überblick von der Diagnostik bis hin zur chirurgischen Therapie dieser Erkrankungen beim pädiatrischen Kollektiv.

Open pleural decortication for the late stage empyema thoracis in children: a retrospective observational study from a tertiary hospital of eastern Nepal

The management of late-stage empyema thoracis requires surgical intervention. We performed a retrospective descriptive analysis of open pleural decortication for late stage empyema thoracis in 55 children (age ≤ 15 years; median age = 6 years; age range = 1-15 years; 40 [72.7%] boys) over 42 months. The median time to thoracotomy from the onset of symptoms was 24 days, and the median duration of hospital stay before and after surgery was 15 and 4 days, respectively. Three (5.5%) patients had necrotising pneumonia, requiring debridement; 4 (7.3%) patients had superficial surgical site infection; 12 (21.8%) patients had perioperative pus culture positive for bacteria; and 3 (5.5%) patients had tubercular aetiology. There was no operative mortality. At median follow-up of 18 months, all patients are in good general health. Open pleural decortication leads to rapid resolution of symptoms and reduces hospital stay in paediatric late-stage empyema thoracis.

Single Trocar Thoracoscopic Surgery for Pleural Empyema in Children

Aim: To present outcomes of single trocar thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of pleural empyema (PE) in children. Patients and Methods: The thoracoscopic surgery was performed using a single trocar inserted through the fifth intercostal space. A conventional rigid scope with a working channel was used. Pleural fluid was aspirated, followed by debridement and ablation of all septa using one instrument through the working channel. Results: Sixty patients from 1 month to 14 years of age underwent surgery without any intraoperative complications or death. The mean operative time was 67 ± 21 minutes. There was no conversion to open thoracotomy. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients. Reoperation was required in 1 patient. Mean duration of postoperative hospitalization was 15 ± 9 days. Follow-up was obtained in 57 patients and resulted in normal clinical and chest X-ray findings in all patients. Conclusion: Single trocar thoracoscopic operation is safe, feasible, and effective in the treatment of PE in children. A future study with control group is required to draw accurate conclusions.

Videothoracoscopic surgery before and after chest tube drainage for children with complicated parapneumonic effusion

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of videothoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion and to determine whether there is a difference in the videothoracoscopic surgery outcome before or after the chest tube drainage.

METHODS

The medical records of 79 children (mean age 35 months) undergoing videothoracoscopic surgery from January 2000 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The same treatment algorithm was used in the management of all patients. Patients were divided into two groups: in group 1, videothoracoscopic surgery was performed as the initial procedure; in group 2, videothoracoscopic surgery was performed after previous chest tube drainage.

RESULTS

Videothoracoscopic surgery was effective in 73 children (92.4%); the other six (7.6%) needed another procedure. Sixty patients (75.9%) were submitted directly to videothoracoscopic surgery (group 1) and 19 (24%) primarily underwent chest tube drainage (group 2). Primary videothoracoscopic surgery was associated with a decrease of hospital stay (p=0.05), time to resolution (p=0.024), and time with a chest tube (p<0.001). However, there was no difference between the groups regarding the time until fever resolution, time with a chest tube, and the hospital stay after videothoracoscopic surgery. No differences were observed between groups regarding the need for further surgery and the presence of complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Videothoracoscopic surgery is a highly effective procedure for treating children with complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion. When videothoracoscopic surgery is indicated in the presence of loculations (stage II or fibrinopurulent), no difference were observed in time of clinical improvement and hospital stay among the patients with or without chest tube drainage before videothoracoscopic surgery.

Parapneumonic pleural effusion: early versus late thoracoscopy

Objective:

To evaluate the best time to perform thoracoscopy for the treatment of complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion in the fibrinopurulent phase in patients ≤ 14 years of age, regarding the postoperative evolution and occurrence of complications.

Methods:

This was a retrospective comparative study involving patients with parapneumonic pleural effusion presenting with septations or loculations on chest ultrasound who underwent thoracoscopy between January of 2000 and January of 2013. The patients were divided into two groups: early thoracoscopy (ET), performed by day 5 of hospitalization; and late thoracoscopy (LT), performed after day 5 of hospitalization.

Results:

We included 60 patients, 30 in each group. The mean age was 3.4 years; 28 patients (46.7%) were male; and 47 (78.3%) underwent primary thoracoscopy (no previous simple drainage). The two groups were similar regarding gender, age, weight, and type of thoracoscopy (p > 0.05 for all). There was a significant difference between the ET and the LT groups regarding the length of the hospital stay (14.5 days vs. 21.7 days; p < 0.001). There were also significant differences between the groups regarding the duration of fever in days; the total number of days from admission to the initiation of drainage; and the total number of days with the drain in place. Eight patients (13.6%) had at least one post-thoracoscopy complication, there being no difference between the groups. There were no deaths.

Conclusions:

Performing ET by day 5 of hospitalization was associated with shorter hospital stays, shorter duration of drainage, and shorter duration of fever, although not with a higher frequency of complications, requiring ICU admission, or requiring blood transfusion.

Sonography of the Pediatric Chest

Traditionally, pediatric chest diseases are evaluated with chest radiography. Due to advancements in technology, the use of sonography has broadened. It has now become an established radiation-free imaging tool that may supplement plain-film findings and, in certain cases, the first-line modality for evaluation of the pediatric chest. This pictorial essay will demonstrate the diagnostic potential of sonography, review a spectrum of pediatric chest conditions, and discuss their imaging features and clinical importance.

Thoracoscopy in the management of pediatric empyemas

INTRODUCTION

Thoracoscopy is increasingly being used in the treatment of empyema. This study assesses feasibility, efficacy and safety in children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Clinical files of patients who underwent primary thoracoscopy for empyema between 2006 and 2014 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and surgical data were analyzed and a comparison between the period before (period1) and after (period2) the learning curve was performed.

RESULTS

Ninety-one patients (53 males, 58%) were submitted to thoracoscopy at a median age of 4 years. There were 19 conversions to thoracotomy with a steady decrease of conversion rate until 2009 (period1) and no conversions thereafter (period2). There was no difference in any of the analyzed parameters between patients submitted to thoracoscopy alone and those requiring conversion in period1. Six cases (6.6%) needed redo-operation (five in period2) and thoracotomy was the elected approach in four. Necrotizing pneumonia was present in 60% of the reoperated cases; in other words, in period2 3 out of 9 cases with necrotizing pneumonia required reintervention (p=0.07). Thoracotomy was avoided in sixty-eight (75%) patients (62% in period1 versus 92% in period2, p=0.001).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Thoracoscopic approach for empyema is feasible and safe avoiding a significant number of thoracotomies after a short learning curve. An increase of reintervention rate should be expected, but throracoscopy alone is effective in the great majority of the cases. Necrotizing pneumonia may be associated with a higher risk of reintervention, as it is a contra-indication to thoracoscopy and probably surgery.

Current Surgical Management of Empyema Thoracis in Children: A Single-center Experience

Empyema is a morbid complication of pneumonia in children, whose gold standard of surgical treatment technique remains undefined. Historically, treatment consisted of open thoracotomy with decortication. We evaluate the effectiveness and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) as a surgical treatment in for empyema thoracis in a pediatric population at a single institution from 2005 to 2013. After receiving Institutional Review Board approval, we performed a retrospective chart review of children surgically treated for empyema as a complication of pneumonia from 2005 to 2013. Charts were reviewed for the type of procedure performed (VATS or open thoracotomy), comorbid conditions, preoperative status, operative outcomes, and postoperative status. A total of 112 pediatric patients were treated surgically for empyema. Surgical treatment consisted of VATS in all cases; no open thoracotomy procedures were performed. The success rate of VATS in our study was 96.4 per cent. Mean total length of stay was found to be 8.8 days, whereas postoperative length of stay was 6.3 days. Mean postoperative chest tube duration was 3.4 days. Perioperative complication rate was 11.6 per cent, with respiratory failure being the most common complication. The data from our study demonstrate that the exclusive use of VATS in children for the surgical management of all stages of empyema was safe and produced results with high efficacy. We consider VATS to be the new gold standard for surgical drainage of empyema.

Survey of hospital procedures for parapneumonic effusion in children highlights need for standardised management

AIM

This study sought to evaluate the initial management of children with parapneumonic effusion admitted to all French university hospitals.

METHODS

A nationwide survey of all 35 university hospitals took place in 2011 to assess practices for children with parapneumonic effusion, using a hypothetical clinical vignette and a standardised questionnaire. Two to four paediatricians per hospital were interviewed and asked about their initial management, probabilistic antibiotic therapy and its adaptation to microbiological results and subsequent course. Answers from paediatricians working in emergency departments, intensive care units and conventional paediatric units were compared.

RESULTS

Of the 100 paediatricians contacted, 95 responded. Of these, 98% would order an initial blood test, 70% would order diagnostic thoracentesis, and all would start immediate antibiotic therapy: 31% with a single drug, 67% with two drugs and 2% with three drugs. The most frequent initial choices were third-generation cephalosporin alone (17%) or combined with rifampicin (34%) or vancomycin (24%). Adaptation varied according to drug used, dose and duration, especially when the microorganism was not Streptococcus pneumoniae. Practices did not differ significantly among the different groups of paediatricians.

CONCLUSION

Standardised management of parapneumonic effusion, including routine thoracentesis and more consistent prescription of antibiotics, is needed.

Ultrasound of the pediatric chest

Historically, the evaluation of the pediatric chest has been accomplished via CT and conventional radiography. Our objective is to discuss and illustrate the role of US as a non-ionizing radiation alternative in the evaluation of the pediatric chest. US is a valuable tool in the evaluation of the pediatric chest. It can be used as a first-line modality in the evaluation of superficial lumps and bumps of the chest wall, diaphragmatic motion, the thymus and pleural effusions, and it can play a valuable secondary role in evaluation of mediastinal masses and pulmonary parenchymal disease.

The diagnosis and management of empyema in children: a comprehensive review from the APSA Outcomes and Clinical Trials Committee

The aim of this study is to review the current evidence on the diagnosis and management of empyema. The American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and Clinical Trials Committee compiled 8 questions to address. A comprehensive review was performed on each topic. Topics included the distinction between parapneumonic effusion and empyema, the optimal imaging modality in evaluating pleural space disease, when and how pleural fluid should be managed, the first treatment option and optimal timing in the management of empyema, the optimal chemical debridement agent for empyema, therapeutic options if chemical debridement fails, therapy for parenchymal abscess or necrotizing pneumonia and duration of antibiotic therapy after an intervention. The evidence was graded for each topic to provide grade of recommendation where appropriate.

Current evidence for the management of paediatric parapneumonic effusions

BACKGROUND

Parapneumonic effusions (PPE) and empyema, secondary to bacterial pneumonia, are relatively uncommon but their prevalence is increasing lately. Even if their prognosis is generally good, they may still cause significant morbidity. The traditional treatment of PPE has been intravenous antibiotics and, when necessary, chest tube drainage. Open thoracotomy with decortication has usually been applied in case of failure of the traditional approach. Lately, the use of fibrinolysis and/or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) are utilized in the management of PPE; however, there is still little consensus on the most effective primary treatment.

SCOPE

In this article our goal was to summarize, based on up-to-date evidence, all the management options for PPE available to physicians and weigh the benefits and risks of the most popular ones, in an effort to figure out which one is superior as a first-line approach in children.

FINDINGS

A literature search of randomized and retrospective studies that pinpoint methods of evaluation and treatment of PPE was carried out in Medline and Scopus databases. Chest X-ray, ultrasound as well as microbiology and biochemical characteristics of the pleural fluid will facilitate decision-making. Small uncomplicated effusions resolve with antibiotics alone, larger ones require small-bore chest tube drainage and in case of complicated loculated PPE, fibrinolysis or VATS should be considered. Both methods promote faster drainage, reduce hospital stay and obviate the need for further interventions when used as first-line approach. However, primary treatment with VATS is not advised by the majority of studies as a first choice intervention, unless medical treatment has failed.

CONCLUSION

The main steps in treatment are diagnostic thoracocentesis and imaging, small percutaneous drainage, and considering fibrinolysis in complicated PPE. In case of failure, VATS should be the surgical method to be applied.

Comparison of ultrasound and CT in the evaluation of pneumonia complicated by parapneumonic effusion in children

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to compare chest ultrasound and chest CT in children with complicated pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively compared chest ultrasound and chest CT in 19 children (nine girls and 10 boys; age range, 8 months-17 years) admitted with complicated pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion between December 2006 and January 2009. Images were evaluated for effusion, loculation, fibrin strands, parenchymal consolidation, necrosis, and abscess. In the subset of patients who underwent surgical management, imaging findings were correlated with operative findings.

RESULTS

Eighteen of 19 patients had an effusion on both chest ultrasound and chest CT. The findings of effusion loculation as well as parenchymal consolidation and necrosis or abscess were similar between the two techniques. Chest ultrasound was better able to visualize fibrin strands within the effusions. Of the 14 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopy, five had surgically proven parenchymal abscess or necrosis. Preoperatively, chest ultrasound was able to show parenchymal abscess or necrosis in four patients, whereas chest CT was able to show parenchymal abscess or necrosis in three.

CONCLUSION

In our series, chest ultrasound and chest CT were similar in their ability to detect loculated effusion and lung necrosis or abscess resulting from complicated pneumonia. Chest CT did not provide any additional clinically useful information that was not also seen on chest ultrasound. We suggest that the imaging workup of complicated pediatric pneumonia include chest radiography and chest ultrasound, reserving chest CT for cases in which the chest ultrasound is technically limited or discrepant with the clinical findings.

Toracoscopia em crianças com derrame pleural parapneumônico complicado na fase fibrinopurulenta: estudo multi-institucional

OBJETIVO: Determinar a eficácia da toracoscopia em crianças com derrame pleural parapneumônico complicado (DPPC) na fase fibrinopurulenta. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo de 99 crianças submetidas à toracoscopia para tratamento de DPPC na fase fibrinopurulenta entre novembro de 1995 e julho de 2005. A média de idade foi de 2,6 anos (variação, 0,4-12 anos) e 60% eram do sexo masculino. A toracoscopia foi realizada em três hospitais diferentes utilizando-se o mesmo algoritmo de tratamento. RESULTADOS: A toracoscopia foi eficaz em 87 crianças (88%) e 12 (12%) necessitaram de outro procedimento cirúrgico: nova toracoscopia (n = 6) ou toracotomia/pleurostomia (n = 6). O tempo médio de drenagem torácica foi de 3 dias nas crianças em que a toracoscopia foi efetiva e de 10 dias naquelas que precisaram de outro procedimento (p < 0,001). A infecção pleural de todas as crianças foi debelada após o tratamento. As complicações da toracoscopia foram fuga aérea (30%) e sangramento pelo dreno torácico (12%), enfisema subcutâneo na inserção do trocarte (2%) e infecção da ferida operatória (2%). Nenhuma criança necessitou de reoperação devido às complicações. CONCLUSÕES: A efetividade da toracoscopia em crianças com DPPC na fase fibrinopurulenta foi de 88%. O procedimento mostrou-se seguro, com baixa taxa de complicações graves, devendo ser considerado como primeira opção em crianças com DPPC na fase fibrinopurulenta.

Efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in managing childhood empyema: a large single-centre study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

A randomised controlled trial evaluating the role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in childhood empyema reported a failure rate of 16.6%. Our aim is to determine the outcome of VATS in a large series of children managed by 3 paediatric surgeons experienced in endoscopic surgery.

METHOD

A retrospective study of all children with empyema admitted under the care of the 3 surgeons between February 2004 and February 2008 was undertaken. Recorded details included demographic data, mode of presentation, preoperative investigations, operative details, antibiotic usage, microbiological data, postoperative course, follow-up data and complications.

RESULTS

114 children (69 boys, 45 girls) had VATS for empyema. Their median age was 5 (0.2-15) years. The pleural cavity was drained for a median of 4 (2-13) days. Median postoperative hospital stay was 7 (4-36) days. Median follow-up was 8 (1-24) months. There were 8 (7%) treatment failures: 5 conversions to thoracotomy and 3 recurrent empyemas. There were 7 complications (6%): air leak (n = 6) and lung injury (n = 1). 104 (91%) children had full resolution of symptoms. There were no deaths.

CONCLUSION

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has a better outcome in childhood empyema than reported in a recent randomised trial and it has an important role in the management of this condition.

Interventional radiology treatment of empyema and lung abscesses

Pneumonias in children can be complicated by pleural effusions, empyema and abscesses. The incidence of these complications is increasing, correlated to an increased virulence of the pneumococcal bacterium. These complications may prolong morbidity and lead to decreased pulmonary function. Traditionally, patients were treated medically with antibiotics, and refractory complications were treated surgically with large bore chest tube placement and thoracotomy. Improvements included instilling fibrinolytics into the chest tubes and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, which expedited recovery and improved outcomes. Image guided techniques from interventional radiology have been developed as an alternative to treat these patients with minimal invasiveness. These therapies have achieved high success and low complication rates, and are the preferred first-line procedures when available.

Management of parapneumonic effusions in pediatrics: current practice

Pneumonia with associated complex pleural disease is a cause of significant morbidity among hospitalized children. The management of this patient population continues to be a challenge and varies even among single institutions. The article presented here reviews the management goals for pediatric patients hospitalized with complex parapneumonic effusions and provides updated summaries of both medical and surgical therapies.

Systematic review of general thoracic surgery articles to identify predictors of operating room case durations

BACKGROUND

Previous studies of operating room (OR) information systems data over the past two decades have shown how to predict case durations using the combination of scheduled procedure(s), individual surgeon and assistant(s), and type of anesthetic(s). We hypothesized that the accuracy of case duration prediction could be improved by the use of other electronic medical record data (e.g., patient weight or surgeon notes using standardized vocabularies).

METHODS

General thoracic surgery was used as a model specialty because much of its workload is elective (scheduled) and many of its cases are long. PubMed was searched for thoracic surgery papers reporting operative time, surgical time, etc. The systematic literature review identified 48 papers reporting statistically significant differences in perioperative times.

RESULTS

There were multiple reports of differences in OR times based on the procedure(s), perioperative team including primary surgeon, and type of anesthetic, in that sequence of importance. All such detail may not be known when the case is originally scheduled and thus may require an updated duration the day before surgery. Although the use of these categorical data from OR systems can result in few historical data for estimating each case's duration, bias and imprecision of case duration estimates are unlikely to be affected. There was a report of a difference in case duration based on additional information. However, the incidence of the procedure for the diagnosis was so uncommon as to be unlikely to affect OR management.

CONCLUSIONS

Matching findings of prior studies using OR information system data, multiple case series show that it is important to rely on the precise procedure(s), surgical team, and type of anesthetic when estimating case durations. OR information systems need to incorporate the statistical methods designed for small numbers of prior surgical cases. Future research should focus on the most effective methods to update the prediction of each case's duration as these data become available. The case series did not reveal additional data which could be cost-effectively integrated with OR information systems data to improve the accuracy of predicted durations for general thoracic surgery cases.