Pus buildup in the lungs, dangerous?

When the lungs are infected with pneumonia, there is a risk, namely empyema. Also known as pyothorax, empyema is a condition that occurs when there is pus mass in the pleural space (the space between the lungs and the inner surface of the chest wall).

In fact, the pleural space is the space that helps the lungs expand when breathing. Naturally, if there is fluid in the pleura. But that becomes a problem when there is too much fluid in the area and the lungs cannot grow properly.

Unlike phlegm that can be removed easily, pus in patients with empyema must be removed surgically.
Symptoms of empyema

As mentioned above, empyema usually occurs after pneumonia. Pneumonia that does not heal for long is a symptom of empyema.

Some other symptoms include:

• fever
• Chest pain
• Phlegm contains pus
• Crispy on the chest
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Dry cough
• Excessive sweating
• Feel confused and difficult to concentrate
• Deafness by tapping the chest (usually known during a medical examination)

Even during an X-ray examination, there will be excess fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Empyema Stadium

Empyema is a disease that can worsen if it does not go away. From the simplest to the complications.

There are 3 stages of empyema, namely:

Phase 1 (exudative phase)

In this first step, we usually talk about simple empyema. This occurs when excess fluid begins to accumulate in the pleural space. The fluid is infected and may contain pus.

Stage 2 (fibrinopurulent phase)

The next step, empyema becomes more complex. Fluid in the pleural space thickens and forms its own sac.

Phase 3 (organizational phase)

The final step occurs when the infected fluid slowly injures the inner wall that connects the pleural space and the lungs. As a result, patients will experience difficulty breathing because the lungs cannot fully expand.

Know the risk factors for empyema

Having pneumonia is still the most common risk factor for someone with empyema. In addition, there are several other risk factors, including:

• Age above 70 years
• Undergo chest surgery
• Diabetics
• Suffering from heart disease
• Long-term use of infusion
• alcoholic
• Weak immune system
• Trauma or serious injury to the chest
• Other people with lung disease (COPD, TB)

How to remove pus empyema?

One characteristic of empeima is the accumulation of fluids infected by bacteria or pus. The problem is that this pus cannot be removed as easily as phlegm in a person who is coughing.

Usually, the first thing a doctor does to make a definitive diagnosis is to take an x-ray or CT scan. In this way, the doctor can determine with certainty whether there is a fluid bag in the pleural space, including determining the location of the empyema.

Some ways to treat empyema include:

antibiotics

People with empyema need to know the right type of antibiotic to fight the bacteria that causes empyema. Usually, its effectiveness is not observed for up to one month.

Drying pus

Pus drying is very important to prevent stage 1 empyema from becoming more severe. To empty it, the doctor will do thoracentesis.

The needle will be inserted into the chest cavity to drain fluid into the pleural cavity.

In the next step, the drain hose connected to suction will be used to remove pus from the pleural cavity.

operation

In cases of more complex empyema, surgical intervention is necessary. An operation called decortication removes the pus bag so the lungs can fully expand.

In addition to the thoracic opening surgery which requires a longer recovery time, there is a thoracotomy video procedure (VAT). This procedure is not too painful and recovery tends to be faster.

Fibrinolytic therapy

One method that can also be used to treat empyema is fibrinolytic therapy. This therapy helps dry pus and fluid in the pleural cavity.

The sooner someone knows that there is empyema in the lungs, the more likely he is to recover. In many cases, the healing method described above will be more effective for patients with empyema who have been diagnosed for less than 4 weeks.

The good news is empyema is not a long-term type of disease that can damage the lungs. If the fluid in the pleural cavity has dried up, the patient can be cured.

An exception concerns people who have immune disorders, because the risk of death from empyema increases at 40%.

Immediately treat empyema because, if nothing is done, it is not impossible that life-threatening complications will occur.

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