PURULENT PLEURISY IN A SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL QUARTER IN BAMAKO (MALI)

We report the results of a retrospective study of 108 cases of pleural empyema collected in the Pneumo-Phthisiology Department of the National Hospital of << Point G >> from September 1984 to August 1990. The sex-ratio is 3/1 in favour of males with a mean age of 35.5 years. The pleural empyema represent 2.2 % of all patients admitted in the Hospital and 20.2 % of liquid effusions of the Pleura observed during the study period. The causal common germ has been placed in a proeminent position in 18 cases (16.7 %) including 14 cases of gram-positive germs. Tuberculous aetiology has been proven in 16 cases (27.6 %) against 67 cases of bacterial pleuresies (62 %). The initial treatment has consisted in an empirical antibiotherapy of a large spectrum associated with repeated washing punctions. A short-term antituberculous chemotherapy (8 months, 2RHZS(6TH) has been administrated each time the tuberculous aetiology has been proven or strongly presumed. The therapeutic results have been favourable in 85 cases (78.7 %) and unfavourable in 23 cases (21 %) including 10 deaths (9.2 %).