Pleural Empyema/Lung Abscess in the Critical Care Unit

Pneumonia is a relatively common infection associated with a wide variety of microbes. Empyema and necrotizing pneumonia or lung abscess are relatively rare complications that are usually associated with relatively few pathogens. Many of these processes are indolent and chronic, but some are also acute and life threatening. The purpose of this chapter is to review empyema and lung abscess with particular attention to specific microbial associations and management guidelines.