Acute and Critical Care

Cardiology/Pulmonary
Successful Rescue Therapy with Pumpless Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal in a Patient with Persistent Air Leakage due to Empyema: Jaeyoung Cho, Yeon Joo Lee, Jae-Ho Lee, Choon-Taek Lee, Young-Jae Cho; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2017;32(3):284-290. Published online November 14, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2016.00185

Abstract PDF: A young metastatic lung cancer patient developed empyema due to an infection with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Hydropneumothorax was detected and managed by a tube thoracotomy. However, persistent air leakage through the chest tube was observed due to the presence of a bronchopleural fistula (BPF). As hypercapnic respiratory failure had progressed and the large air leak did not diminish by conservative management, a pumpless extracorporeal lung assist (pECLA) device was inserted. The pECLA allowed the patient to be weaned from mechanical ventilation and the BPF to heal. The present case shows the effective application of pECLA in a patient with empyema complicated with BPF and severe hypercapnic respiratory failure. pECLA enabled us to minimize airway pressure to aid in the closure of the BPF in the mechanically ventilated patient.

Successful Management of Tracheobronchomalacia Associated with Empyema Using a Covered Metallic Tracheobronchial Stent: A Case Report: Young Sik Park, Hyo Jae Kang, Yung Jeong Jeong, Sun Mi Choi, Eun Young Heo, Hyeon Jong Moon, Chang Hoon Lee, Hee Soon Chung, Deog Kyeom Kim; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2011;26(2):105-109.; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2011.26.2.105

Abstract PDF: Tracheobronchomalacia is developed by excessively weakened walls of the trachea and bronchi, and shows dynamic collapse of the airway on expiration and causes dyspnea. Airway stenting or surgical correction of the airway may be helpful. We report a case with tracheobronchomalacia which was combined with chronic empyema and treated successfully with stent insertion.

A Case Report of Rapidly Progressive Empyema Caused by Pulmonary Actinomycosis: A Case Report: Seong Joon Park, Young Chel Ahn, Soo Kyung Park, Min Jung Kim, Se Hun Kang, Hang Jea Jang, Younsuck Koh; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2010;25(4):249-252.; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2010.25.4.249

Abstract PDF: Pulmonary actinomycosis is an indolent and slowly progressive infectious disease, accompanied by pleural effusion and empyema in about 50% of cases. The size of the effusion is usually small, though, and it responds to appropriate antibiotics. We report a case of rapidly progressing, severe empyema leading to respiratory failure that was caused by pulmonary actinomycosis. A 57-year-old man presented with pleuritic chest pain for 5 days. The initial plain chest radiograph and CT scan showed pleural effusion. Gross pus was observed during the thoracentesis and laboratory test of pleural effusion revealed empyema. In spite of empirical antibiotics and chest tube drainage, the empyema rapidly progressed and the patient reached respiratory failure. Mechanical ventilation applied and decortication via video-assisted thoracotomy was performed. Microscopic examination of both the pleural and adjacent lung biopsy specimen revealed actinomycosis.

A Case of Respiratory Failure Caused by Gastropleural Fistula: A Case Report: Woo Hyun Cho, Dong Yup Ryu, Sung Yik Lee, Bo Hyun Kim, Yun Seong Kim; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2005;20(2):183-186.

Abstract PDF: Gastropleural fistula is a very rare disorder, caused by various conditions, such as trauma and postoperative complication, subphrenic abscess, malignancy, hiatal hernia. The major causes of the gastropleural fistula have changed from trauma and subphrenic abscess to postoperative complication of malignant disorders. We report a case of empyema that developed respiratory failure caused by gastropleural fistula in a middle age woman with review of related articles.

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