ArticlePediatric surgery international2023
Pleural drainage vs video-assisted thoracoscopic debridement in children affected by pleural empyema.
Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy, Safety, and Long-Term Outcomes of Shorter (≤ 4 Weeks) Versus Longer (> 4 Weeks) Antibiotic Therapy in Pediatric Empyema Thoracis: A Systematic Review.Indian pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Comparing the efficacy of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) vs intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy in children with pleural empyema.Pediatric surgery international · 2025Trial
- Observational
- Pediatric pleural empyema - decision making beyond imaging - a retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Parapneumonic Effusion Versus Pulmonary Empyema in Children: Analysis of Risk Factors and Laboratory Predictors Through a Single Center Experience.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Pneumothorax After VATS for Pleural Empyema in Pediatric Patients.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Contemporary use of fibrinolytics in the management of pediatric empyema.Pediatric surgery international · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBoth thoracic drainage and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) are available treatment for pleural empyema in pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis retrospective multicenter study includes pediatric patients affected by pleural empyema treated from 2004 to 2021 at two Italian centers. Patients were divided in G1 (traditional approach) and G2 (VATS). Demographic and recovery data, laboratory tests, imaging, surgical findings, post-operative management and follow-up were analyzed.
results70 patients with a mean age of 4.8 years were included; 12 (17.1%) in G1 and 58 (82.9%) in G2. Median surgical time was 45 min in G1, 90 in G2 (p < 0.05). Mean duration of thoracic drainage was 7.3 days in G1, 6.2 in G2 (p > 0.05). Patients became afebrile after a mean of 6.4 days G1, 3.9 in G2 (p < 0.05). Mean duration of antibiotic therapy was 27.8 days in G1, 25 in G2 (p < 0.05). Mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 16 days in G1, 12.1 in G2 (p < 0.05). There were 4 cases (33.3%) of postoperative complications in G1, 17 (29.3%) in G2 (p > 0.05). 2 (16.7%) patients of G1 needed a redosurgery with VATS, 1 (1.7%) in G2.
conclusionsVATS is an effective and safe procedure in treatment of Pleural Empyema in children: it is associated to reduction of chest tube drainage, duration of fever, hospital stay, time of antibiotic therapy and recurrence rate.
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