What are the most common symptoms of empyema?

It depends: The signs and symptoms of empyema vary somewhat according to the location of the infection and its severity. In empyema thoracis, patients usually exhibit symptoms of pneumonia, including fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, an chestpain. They may prefer to lie on the side of the body affected by the empyema. Family members may notice bad breath. In severe cases, the patient may becomecomat.

Fever...: Empyema is when there is pus in the space surrounding the lung. Patient's with empyema are usually ill with fever/chills, elevated white blood cell count, chest discomfort, coughing, perhaps shortness of breath. Treatment usually consists of chest tube drainage as well as antibiotic therapy.