Empyema with Dr. Aaron Garrison

Pediatric empyema pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs when pus collects in the pleural space, the area between the lungs and chest wall. In this video, we cover the management of pediatric empyema, including diagnosis, treatment algorithms, imaging, and surgical versus non-surgical approaches with Dr. Aaron Garrison, a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s.

Host: Brittany Levy

Key Takeaways:

• Pediatric empyema pneumonia requires a combination of medical and surgical management, but decision-making can be complex.

• Community-acquired pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization in children, yet bacterial pathogens are detected in only 15% of cases.

• Empyema progresses in three stages: exudative, fibrinopurulent, and organizing. The fibrinopurulent stage is when surgical intervention i ...