[Patient with a lung abscess, primarily treated with drainage followed by antibiotics]

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2002 Jan 12;146(2):77-9.
[Article in Dutch]

Abstract

A 45-year-old woman presented herself with coughing, nocturnal sweating, weight loss, and chest pain, left laterally. In the previous 5 months she had been treated twice with antibiotics due to a suspected pneumonia. With the help of a CT scan, 2 subpleural lung abscesses were diagnosed. The primary treatment was CT-guided drainage, as a result of which the largest abscess was emptied and a microbiological diagnosis could be established. Subsequently, the patient made a quick recovery with the help of specific antibiotics. It might be better to drain lung abscesses, especially subpleural ones, at an early stage rather than wait for the results of a trial treatment with antibiotics.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Amoxicillin / administration & dosage
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Clavulanic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Clavulanic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Drainage / methods*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Abscess / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Abscess / drug therapy*
  • Lung Abscess / etiology
  • Lung Abscess / microbiology
  • Lung Abscess / surgery*
  • Middle Aged
  • Penicillins / administration & dosage
  • Penicillins / therapeutic use
  • Pneumonia / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia / microbiology
  • Radiography
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Penicillins
  • Clavulanic Acid
  • Amoxicillin