Abstract: The annual incidence of bacterial pneumonia in the United States is estimated at 4 million and approximately 20% of those cases require hospitalization.32 The incidence of parapneumonic effusion in patients hospitalized with pneumonia is about 40%.25 The morbidity and mortality rates in patients with pneumonia and pleural effusions are greater than in patients with pneumonia alone. In one recent study,16 the relative risk of mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia was 7.0 times higher for patients with bilateral pleural effusions and 3.4 times higher for patients with unilateral-pleural effusion of moderate or greater size compared with other patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Delay in instituting proper therapy for effusions is responsible for much of the increased morbidity and mortality.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-06-01
Language: en
Type: review
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 109
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