empyema

empyema
—empyemic, adj.
/em'pee ee"meuh, -puy-/, n. Pathol.
a collection of pus in a body cavity, esp. the pleural cavity. Also called pyothorax.
[1605-15; < LL < Gk empýema abscess, equiv. to em- EM-2 + pye- (var. s. of pyeîn to suppurate, akin to pýon, pýos pus) + -ma n. suffix denoting result of action]

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      accumulation of pus in a cavity of the body, usually in the pleura, which are the serous membranes covering the lungs. Empyema is the result of a microbial, usually bacterial, infection in a body cavity. Thoracic empyema may be characterized by fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and weight loss, and the presence of fluid as ascertained by a chest X-ray. Treatment is directed at drainage of small amounts of pus through a needle or larger amounts through a drainage tube. Video-assisted thoracic surgery or open-chest surgery is sometimes needed to eviscerate thick or compartmentalized pus from the pleural space. Antibiotics are used to treat the underlying infection. Empyemas may also result from the infection of an obstructed gallbladder with a bacterial organism, in which case the high risk of perforation and systemic infection requires the immediate removal of the infected organ.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Empyema — Em py*e ma, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, from ? to suppurate; ? in + ? pus.] (Med.) A collection of blood, pus, or other fluid, in some cavity of the body, especially that of the pleura. Dunglison. [1913 Webster] Note: The term empyema is now restricted… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • Empyema — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = ICD10 = ICD9 = ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = D004653 An empyema is a collection of pus within a naturally existing anatomical cavity. It must be… …   Wikipedia

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  • empyema — pyothorax; n. pus in the pleural cavity, usually secondary to infection in the lung or in the space below the diaphragm. Empyema is a life threatening condition, which can be relieved by aspiration or drainage of the pus or by decapsulation (see… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • empyema — em•py•e•ma [[t]ˌɛm piˈi mə, paɪ [/t]] n. pat a collection of pus in a body cavity, esp. the pleural cavity • Etymology: 1605–15; < LL < Gk empýēma, empyē , var. of empyeîn to suppurate em py•e′mic, adj …   From formal English to slang

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