Respiratory and sleep medicine
Lung abscess and empyema
Aspiration and secondary causes of lung abscess, telling an abscess from empyema on CT, the cavity differential (TB, cancer, GPA, melioidosis), prolonged anaerobic cover, when to bronchoscope or drain, and the follow-up imaging that catches an underlying tumour.
Tier 2Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- A lung abscess is a necrotic cavity in the lung parenchyma, usually over 2 cm, often with an air-fluid level. Most follow aspiration of oral flora.
- An empyema is pus in the pleural space. It needs drainage; most lung abscesses don't. Pleural infection is covered in pleural effusion.
- Treat with prolonged antibiotics with anaerobic cover. Image again until it resolves, because some cavities hide a tumour.
Loading the rest of the note…
Finished reading?
Sources
- Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic. Lung abscess, aspiration pneumonia and empyemaAU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Limited (eTG complete), current eTG edition, accessed November 2026 (version not verified)
- Roberts ME et al. British Thoracic Society Guideline for pleural disease. Thorax 2023;78(Suppl 3):s1-s42British Thoracic Society (Thorax), 2023
- Kuhajda I et al. Lung abscess: etiology, diagnostic and treatment options. Ann Transl Med 2015;3(13):183Annals of Translational Medicine, 2015
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy