Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42424023›Full record

SynthesisIndian pediatrics2026

Microbial Etiology of Empyema Thoracis in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abhishek Purohit, Rashmi Ranjan Das, Rashmi Kapoor, Pramod Paharia, Sachin Singh, Pranita Pradhan, Joseph L Mathew

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Indian pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Abhishek PurohitAdvanced Centre for Evidence Based Child Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
Rashmi Ranjan DasDepartment of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Rashmi KapoorDepartment of Pediatrics, Regency Hospital Limited, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Pramod PahariaDepartment of Pediatrics, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
Sachin SinghDepartment of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India.
Pranita PradhanAdvanced Centre for Evidence Based Child Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
Joseph L MathewAdvanced Centre for Evidence Based Child Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. dr.joseph.l.mathew@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2866-2623

Funding

Indian Council of Medical Research Nil
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextIdentifying the microbial etiology of empyema is crucial to implement contextually appropriate clinical management and prevention strategies. However, there is no systematic review examining this question.

objectiveThis systematic review addressed this knowledge gap by synthesizing evidence on the pathogens identified in children with empyema. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, major trial registries, and grey literature sources were searched for observational studies in children with empyema. The prevalence of organisms identified in pleural pus, blood, or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by culture or molecular methods was determined, along with the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the NIH quality assessment tool for observational studies. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects model, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE.

resultsOut of 8022 citations retrieved, 36 studies were included. In pleural fluid specimens, S. aureus dominated (38.99%, 95% CI 28.97, 49.00; I

conclusionVery low certainty evidence suggested that S. aureus and S. pneumoniae are the common causes of empyema in children, with S. aureus dominant in India.

Indexed as

Empyema, PleuralAnti-Bacterial AgentsChildHumansStaphylococcus aureusStreptococcus pneumoniaeAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial cultureBacterial etiologyComplicated pneumoniaParapneumonic effusionPediatricPneumoniaPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID42424023

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.