Phenotyping empyema by pleural fluid culture results and macroscopic appearance: an 8-year retrospective study

What is it about?

Empyema, an infectious condition in the pleural space, was all along considered as a single disease entity. The present study stratified empyema into two different subgroups based on the bacterial culture status (positive or negative) and gross appearance (pus-appearing or non-pus-appearing) of pleural fluid. We found the disease characteristics and outcomes differ between subgroups, in particular, higher in-hospital death rates in the subgroup of positive culture than those of the negative culture.

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