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Pleural effusion is the most common manifestation of pleural disease, and chest ultrasound is crucial for diagnostic workup and post-treatment monitoring. Ultrasound helps distinguish the various types of pleural effusion and enables the detection of typical manifestations of empyema, which presents as a complicated, septated effusion. This may benefit from drainage and the use of intrapleural enzyme therapy or may require more invasive approaches, such as medical or surgical thoracoscopy. The mechanism of action of intrapleural enzymatic therapy (IPET) is the activation of plasminogen to plasmin, which breaks down fibrin clots that form septa or the loculation of effusions and promotes their removal. In addition, IPET has anti-inflammatory properties and can modulate the immune response in the pleural space, resulting in reduced pleural inflammation and improved fluid reabsorption. In this article, we briefly review the literature on the efficacy of IPET and describe a case series in which most practical applications of IPET are demonstrated, i.e., as a curative treatment but also as an alternative, propaedeutic, or subsequent treatment to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report a case of severe acute respiratory failure (PaO2/FiO2 88 mmHg; FiO2 60% in high flow nasal oxygen-therapy) secondary to diffuse bronchiolitis due to Influenza A virus and bilateral polymicrobial pneumonia (Haemophilus Influenzae and Stenotrophomonas Maltophila) occurring in a 74-year-old man managed in a multidisciplinary setting. We showed that the implementation of an integrated strategy based on non-invasive respiratory supports, analgosedation, postural therapy (Rodin’s Position) and an incremental physio-kinesitherapy program, including techniques such as high frequency chest wall oscillation, turn out to be effective in the management of the case achieving the withdrawal of all oxygenation supports (PaO2/FiO2 300 mmHg, FiO2 21%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]