[Purulent pleurisy in the child].

We studied 122 cases of empyema in children. The mean age was 3 years. We found malnutrition in 33% of the patients. 60% of them had large pleural effusion and 56% associated pneumonia. Staphylococcus aureus (51%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (18%) were the most frequently isolated bacterias in pleural fluid. The mortality rate was 6.5%. 53% of the children had closed chest tube drainage. There were minor abnormalities in pulmonary function tests. The best treatment of empyema in children is closed chest tube drainage and an antimicrobial therapy with antistaphylococcus antibiotic.