Video assisted thoracic surgery in a second trimester pregnant woman with thoracic empyema: a case report.

BACKGROUND: An empyema is an infection of the pleural space that occurs most frequently secondary to the progression of pneumonia. The stages of empyema are based on pleural characteristics and reflect the risks of the condition for morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy is a risk factor for major complications of pneumonia, including empyema. CASE: A pregnant woman at 25 weeks' gestation with a community-acquired Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia underwent video-assisted thoracotomy decortication and debridement of a large loculated, gelatinous empyema after conservative medical therapy failed. CONCLUSION: Conservative medical therapy with antibiotics alone may not be adequate for advanced bacterial empyema in pregnancy.

Puerperal group a streptococcal infections: a case series and discussion.

Puerperal group A streptococcal infections, a major postpartum killer during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, have become (fortunately) rare. We describe a cluster of 4 serious peripartum group A streptococcal infections occurring within the past five years at a single medical center. These cases were not epidemiologically linked and serve to illustrate the continuing risk of these potentially fulminant infections.

Gordonia bronchialis sternal wound infection in 3 patients following open heart surgery: intraoperative transmission from a healthcare worker.

We describe an investigation of 3 postoperative Gordonia bronchialis sternal infections. A nurse anesthetist was identified as the source of the outbreak, her scrubs likely becoming contaminated by her home washing machine. The outbreak ended after disposal of the implicated washing machine. Domestic laundering of surgical scrubs may need reevaluation.