Aim: To review the treatment of pleural empiyema that remains a common and serious problem despite the widespread use of antibiotics.

Materials and method: In this study, 28 (61%) males and 18 (39%) females, a total of 46 cases of childhood empyema thoracis admitted over one year to the Pediatric infection Unit, were respectively reviewed.

Results: Frequent symptoms were fever, and cough, while common sign were decreased breath sounds, dullness to chest percussion. There was no difference in effusion s affected the right or the left side (24/23). All of the cases, three children had positive pleural fluid cultures for enterococcus, three for pneumococcus and two for staphilococcus and only one child has positive blood culture for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Because of this reason, we started ampiric convenient antibiotherapy for recent bacteriological agents. On the other hand, we used chest tubes in 22 (48%) cases. Hospitalized days were 23.3±7.3 day (range:8-35 days) in group used chest tubes and 20.2±7.3 day (range: 7-41 days) in group treated by only antibiotic. Only, in three patient surgical decortication were needed and eight children were treated by antituberculous agent.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates the low fatality of childhood ampyema in Eastern Türkiye, but prolonged hospitalization and exorbitant medication involved make it an important disease.