{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T14:40:09Z","timestamp":1756305609101,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,5]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Empyema of the lung is an infection-induced collection of fluid in the chest cavity. <jats:italic>Clostridium perfringens<\/jats:italic> is a bacterium that inhabits the intestine and is a rare cause of empyema after abdominal surgery. A slow phase of infection, associated with <jats:italic>C. perfringens<\/jats:italic> empyema, has previously been reported in cases of similar infections. Herein, we present a case of <jats:italic>C. perfringens<\/jats:italic> empyema following abdominal surgery. The empyema was initially managed using oxygen supplementation, fluid drainage and antibiotic therapy.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>This initial therapy failed in the present case because multiple collections of infected fluid prevented the lungs from expanding, requiring decortication, a pulmonary operation to remove the inflammatory tissue from the walls of the lung and associated with the infection, to allow the lung to expand. Following this operation, the patient recovered baseline levels of breathing and oxygen supplementation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2023-256551","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]],"date-time":"2023-12-21T12:36:19Z","timestamp":1703162179000},"page":"e256551","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["<i>Clostridium perfringens<\/i> empyema after right hemicolectomy for caecal volvulus"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3524-2539","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bryant","family":"Morocho","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"General Surgery, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pennsylvania, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nikoleta","family":"Tellios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Surgery, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pennsylvania, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Catherin","family":"Morocho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Indiana School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6912-6686","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nathaniel","family":"McElhaney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pennsylvania, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.4103\/IJCIIS.IJCIIS_51_17","article-title":"Clostridium perfringens empyema in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung","volume":"8","author":"Oh","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/1757-1626-2-50","article-title":"Necrotizing pneumonia and sepsis due to clostridium perfringens: a case report","volume":"2","author":"Palmacci","year":"2009","journal-title":"Cases J"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gastrohep.2012.04.007","article-title":"Spontaneous bacterial empyema in a cirrhotic patient due to clostridium perfringens: case report and review of the literature","volume":"36","author":"Albuquerque","year":"2013","journal-title":"Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.78.4.622"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chest.2016.08.167","article-title":"A rare case of pleural empyema caused by clostridium baratii","volume":"150","author":"Talat","year":"2016","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.6","first-page":"2791349","article-title":"A rare case of spontaneous empyema by clostridium perfringens","volume":"2018","author":"Basnet","year":"2018","journal-title":"Case Rep Infect Dis"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9343(75)90471-4"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.8","first-page":"1420","article-title":"Empyema caused by clostridium perfringens","volume":"128","author":"Kwan","year":"1983","journal-title":"Can Med Assoc J"},{"key":"2025082707265042000_16.12.e256551.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/thx.45.1.72"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256551","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T14:26:58Z","timestamp":1756304818000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256551"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,12]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2023-256551"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256551","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1757-790X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,12]]}}}