| Abstract: | ![]()
i During recent years empyema thoracis is by no means a rarityand instead its incidence is probably on the increase. The introduc-tion of artificial pneumothorax for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis undoubtedly brings in a number of cases of thoracic empy-ema which would not have occurred if our judgment and techniquehave been more perfect. Jones and Alexander (1) reported 70 casesof empyema with 28 cases complicated by pneumothorax. Vinebergand Aronovitch (2) reviewed 37 cases of tuberculous empyema, ofwhich 30 cases are secondary to induced pneumothorax. ModernWarfare, of course, is to blame for many chest wound cases whichare frequently complicated with thoracic empyema. Ranson (3) re-cently reported that out of 150 cases of chest injury, 35 patients hadthoracic empyema. Since chemotherapy of sulfanilamide compound isavailable, theoretically postpneumonic empyema sheuld be preventedif treatment is properly given at the early stage of the disease. How-ever, there is yet a very high percentage of the people of this countrywho are denied this time-honored medicine. Hence, we should he stilloii the lookout for patients suffering from empyema complicatingpneumonia as well as other types and be prepared to give the propertreatment. The following 5 cases are herewith reported. |
