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Annual Congress of <strong>Malaysian</strong> <strong>Thoracic</strong> <strong>Society</strong><br />

Symposium 3C<br />

Pneumonia<br />

Management of Complicated Pneumonias<br />

Anna Nathan<br />

University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />

Complication with paediatric pneumonia can be due to problems with a) Air b) Fluid c) Lung Parenchyma d) Blood<br />

Problems with abnormal air collections e.g. pneumatocoele and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) are seen with<br />

Staph aureus, especially Panton –Valentine leukocidin or PVL producing strains, Stretococcus pneumoniae<br />

and Klebsiella species that can cause a necrotizing pneumonia. A recent review has noted that there has<br />

been an increased incidence of BPF and this is probably related to an increase in S.pneumoniae serotype 3<br />

(not covered by PCV 7 but covered by PCV 13).<br />

Management of this problem is usually to “sit and wait, however, some may require surgical intervention<br />

especially if BPF is present longer than 14 days. Children with necrotizing pneumonias usually require<br />

prolonged hospitalization. Fortunately, most recover completely.<br />

Problems with abnormal fluid collection e.g. lung abcess or complicated empyema.<br />

Lung abcesses are usually seen in the scenario of a child with recurrent aspiration e.g. cerebral palsy.<br />

As such the organism implicated is usually anaerobic organisms e.g. S. viridians. It may present as single or<br />

multiple abcesses..<br />

Management of lung abcesses is also not to intervene e.g. chest tube insertion, unless there is mediastinal<br />

shift whereby needle aspiration can be done. Chest radiograph changes take time to resolve, usually months<br />

rather than weeks. It is important in a case of persistent CXR findings to think of a possibility of a congenital<br />

malformation of the lung e.g. congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung, which will then<br />

require surgical resection to reduce risk of recurrent lung infections and the small possibility of malignant<br />

transformation.<br />

Complicated empyema is defined as para- pneumonic effusion associated with persistent fever and loculated<br />

effusion despite chest tube insertion and drainage. Biochemical indicators of a complicated empyemas are<br />

pH < 7.2 , Low glucose < 40mg/dl and a high pleural/serum LDH > 0.6.<br />

Ultrasound of the chest which may demonstrate loculations in pleural fluid are also indicators of a complicated<br />

empyema.<br />

Management of complicated empyema, besides use of appropriate antibiotics is either a) Use of fibrinolytics<br />

e.g. urokinase b) Video-assisted thoroscopic decortications or open surgical decortication. Urokinase is<br />

contraindicated in the presence of a necrotizing pneumonia.<br />

Problems with persistent atelactasis may be due to mucus plugs, foreign body or airway compression e.g.<br />

lymph nodes in TB or malignant disease<br />

Management of persistent CXR’s changes, with no improvement, for longer than 4-6 weeks will require further<br />

investigations e.g. CT thorax and bronchoscopy to look for airway problems and help with removal of mucus plugs.<br />

Problem with haemolytic uremic syndrome ( HUS) is also seen in severe Strep.pneumoniae infections that<br />

produce neuraminidase that cause microangiopathic haemolysis, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure.<br />

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