Final answer:
Criteria for complicated pleural effusion/empyema include the presence of purulent fluid, loculated effusion, positive cultures for bacteria, and signs of inflammation or infection such as fever and elevated white blood cell count.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medicine, the criteria for a complicated pleural effusion or empyema include the presence of purulent fluid, loculated effusion, positive cultures for bacteria, or signs of inflammation or infection such as fever and elevated white blood cell count.
For example, in a patient with pneumonia and a pleural effusion, if the fluid obtained from the pleural space is purulent, it indicates a complicated effusion. Additionally, if imaging or ultrasound shows multiple fluid collections or pockets within the pleural space, it suggests a loculated effusion.
Other criteria for complicated pleural effusion/empyema can include positive cultures for bacteria, such as in the case of John who had a gram-negative rod present in his sputum cultures. Signs of inflammation or infection, such as fever and elevated white blood cell count, may also indicate a complicated pleural effusion or empyema.