Dissertation committee:
Ζακυνθινός Σπυρίδων, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Καρακατσάνη Άννα, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Λουκίδης Στυλιανός, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Καλομενίδης Ιωάννης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Μπακάκος Πέτρος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Μάγειρα Ελένη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κατσαούνου Παρασκευή, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Identifying the microbiology of pleural sepsis (complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema) is necessary to determine the empirical treatment for the patients. There is no data on its impact on the population or its microbiological profile in Greece. The purpose of this study is to identify the infectious agents that cause pleural infection in the country, their susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs, patients’ clinical characteristics that may be associated with these microbes and contribute to patients’ outcome. Inclusion criterion for this study is the positive pleural fluid culture.
The present study has two parts: the first concerns a retrospective descriptive study (N = 45) and the second one a prospective non-invasive study (N = 113). The main findings are: The most common pathogens responsible for community-acquired pleural infection (CAPI) in Greece are non-pneumococcal streptococci. Antimicrobial regimens such as aminopenicillins plus their inhibitor along with a respiratory quinolone or ceftriaxone in combination with a respiratory quinolone appear to be very effective in treating CAPI in the current study. Finally, there is a correlation between patients’ clinical characteristics at admission and the pathogen, the existence of resistance to common antimicrobial regimens and survival.
