Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in 1402 Children With Parapneumonic Effusion/Pleural Empyema in Germany: A Long-term Surveillance Study.

This study points to antibiotic overtreatment in children with PPE/PE, particularly the frequent use of combinations of antibiotics. Children receiving combinations of antibiotics did not show differences in clinical outcomes. The low rate of children with streamlined antibiotic therapy even upon pathogen detection indicates a necessity for antibiotic stewardship measures in PPE/PE and the need of investigating other potential therapeutic strategies as anti-inflammatory therapy.