Table 1.

Characteristics of the patient population.

Age (years)†)	48.0±15.7
Sex (male/female)	36/16
Etiology of empyema	Pneumonia 82.7%Thoracic surgery 7.7%Tuberculosis 3.8%Other* 5.8%
Treatment of empyema	VATS 76.9%Open decortication 13.5%Tube thoracostomy 9.6%
Comorbidities
Systemic arterial hypertension	34.6%
Malignant neoplasm	26.9%
Diabetes mellitus	13.5%
Chronic cardiac disease	11.5%
Chronic pulmonary disease	9.6%
Chronic renal failure	7.7%
Immunosuppression	3.8%

^†Mean ± std. deviation *Trauma, malignant pleural effusion.