Primary lung abscess in childhood: the long-term outcome of conservative management
M. I. Asher, S. Spier, M. Beland, A. L. Coates and P. H. Beaudry
Fourteen cases of primary lung abscess in childhood were treated with
antibiotics alone. The only organism discovered was Staphylococcus aureus.
All the children recovered. Roentgenographic abnormalities took from six
weeks to more than five years to resolve. Recently, follow-up of 11 of the
14 children was performed an average of nine years after treatment of the
abscess. In all children, the clinical status, lung volumes, and expiratory
flow rates were normal, except in two with asthma. A conservative approach
to the management of primary lung abscess in children is recommended.
