Affiliations: Servicio de Criticos, Intermedios y Urgencias
Pediátricas, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Universidad
de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain | Servicio de Infectología Pediátrica, Hospital
Clínico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Federico Martinón-Torres, UCI
Pediatría. Hospital Clínico, Universitario de Santiago de Compostela,
Spain. Tel.: +981 950610; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Clinicians in Spain perceive an increase in the incidence of
pediatric empyema. The available objective information is limited because it is
a condition, for which there is no specific active epidemiological
surveillance. This study aims to determine and evaluate the incidence of
empyema of infectious origin, especially pneumococcal empyema, among children
in Galicia (North-West of Spain). A retrospective search of all pediatrics
cases of empyema from 1996 to present (May 2006) in Galicia (North-West of
Spain) was performed using the official hospital admissions database. A total
of 165 patients were identified, showing an increase in the incidence of
empyema (1.02 cases/100,000 children in 1996 to 7.35 cases/100,000 children in
2005) and a decrease in the mean age of the patients affected [(7.25 (6.3)
years in 1996 to 3.7 (3) in 2005]. This increase in the incidence of empyema
started before the antipneumococcal vaccine became available and the reason for
it remains unknown. This situation would justify the establishment of
prospective systems for the surveillance and control of empyema.