RESUMEN
Background: Pleural space infection is common and causessignificant morbidity and mortality up to 10%. The propermanagement of empyema remains controversial, and patientsare often seen by a physician after their purulent process hasalready reached the fibrinopurulent or chronic stage. Thesepatients are often subjected to multiple procedures and longhospitalization before the empyema is successfully treated.Most cases are treated initially using antibiotics with or withoutrepeated thoracentesis or chest tube insertion. Surgicalapproaches, such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) oropen thoracotomy and decortications, are usually reserved forpatients with deteriorated clinical condition following failedconservative treatment, which in turn increase the mortalityrate.Aims and Objective: The aim of our retrospective study is toevaluate our experience with thoracic empyema over a 36-month period with special attention to procedures used,success rate of each procedure and outcome.Materials & Methods: A retrospective chart analysis onpatients in whom thoracic empyema was diagnosed fromMarch 2016 to March 2018 at Civil hospital, BJ Medicalcollege, Ahmedabad, India. was performed. The definition ofempyema was selected as any pleural fluid that was grosslypurulent, and/or had a positive Gram stain or culture andempyema were classified by etiology and culture results.Charts were reviewed for patients age, symptoms, underlyingdisease, etiology of empyema, culture results, diagnosticmodalities, duration of hospitalization, therapeutic intervention,date of procedures, complications, mortality and long-termoutcome.Results and Conclusion: Empyema thoracis is a cause ofhigh mortality in man and its occurrence is increasing in bothchildren and adults. Two guidelines documents on themanagement of empyema in adults have been published bythe ACCP and the BTS. Although they differ in their approachto management, they agree on that the pleural space shouldbe drained in all patients with exudative PPE with pleural fluidpH < 7.2 and in those who have frank pus in the pleural space.Patients who do not improve should be referred to the surgeonfor further management. A large randomized multi-centre trialhas shown no survival advantage with the use of intrapleuralstreptokinase in patients with pleural infection and the use ofstreptokinase has not prevented surgery in the group ofpatients studied. However, streptokinase enhances infectedpleural fluid drainage and may still be used in patients whohave large collection of infected pleural collection causingventilatory impairment.
RESUMEN
Chronic stable angina (CSA) is an incapacitating disorder. The pain can hinder the routine chores of an individual and significantly impact one’s quality of life (QoL). However, the good news is that this can be treated and the QoL can be improved. The key to apt management lies in the accurate early diagnosis of this condition, followed by a detailed evaluation and accordingly planned management, which should be regularly revised and be backed by an adequate follow-up. OPTA-OPtimal Treatment for chronic stable Angina-is an educational initiative to assist the clinicians in India with screening and diagnostic tools, strengthened by updated guideline-directed management to ensure satisfactory patient outcomes. OPTA aims to improve clinical outcomes by providing optimized pharmacotherapy for patients with stable angina. This expert consensus document intends to provide information for better understanding of the condition by clinicians and to ensure an early, accurate diagnosis, followed by optimal management of angina. For better clinical and practical understanding of Indian clinical scenario, the most commonly encountered patient profiles are briefly described here. These inputs and an extensive literature review were blended to develop the recommendations for clinicians across the country. An attempt is made to include clinical recommendations that meet the needs of the majority of patients in most circumstances in the Indian scenario. However, the ultimate judgment regarding individual case management should be based on clinician’s discretion. This expert consensus document is not a substitute for textbooks and/or a clinical judgment.