Empyema Therapy in Children

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, conducted a study to assess trends in hospitalizations for pneumonia complicated by empyema, and procedures for treating empyema, in children in the United States during the period 2008–2014. The investigators specifically evaluated trends in the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or chest tube placement to treat empyema. Data were abstracted from the National Inpatient Sample, which includes information on discharges from a random sample of US hospitals and can be used to provide national estimates. Study participants were children aged 0–17 years with ICD-9 discharge diagnostic codes for pneumonia and empyema. Review of ICD-9 codes was also used to gather data on the use of specific procedures to treat empyema and the use of mechanical ventilation in study participants. Regression analyses were used …