A lung abscess is a pocket of pus in your lung , surrounded by inflamed tissue. It usually happens when bacteria that normally live in your mouth or throat are breathed into the lungs, leading to an infection.
What Are the Common Symptoms of a Lung Abscess?
Symptoms of a lung abscess usually show up slowly over weeks. They may include:
- Chest pain, especially when you breathe in
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Night sweats
- Sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus) with pus that’s often sour-tasting, foul-smelling, or streaked with blood
- Weight loss
What Causes a Lung Abscess?
Many things can cause a lung abscess, including:
Not being able to cough. This often happens as a result of:
- Anesthesia
- Alcohol or drug use
- Nervous system diseases
- Sedation
Poor oral health. People with gum disease are more likely to get an abscess.
A weakened immune system. This can let in germs that aren’t usually found in your mouth or throat, like fungi or the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, strep throat, and MRSA.
Blocked airway. Mucus can form behind a tumor or foreign object in your windpipe and cause an abscess. If bacteria get into the mucus, the blockage stops you from coughing it out.
Blood-borne causes. It’s rare, but bacteria or infected blood clots from an infected part of your body can travel through your bloodstream and into your lung, where they cause an abscess.
How Is a Lung Abscess Diagnosed?
A lung abscess is typically diagnosed in two ways:
Chest X-ray. This shows your doctor the location of the abscess.
CT scan of the chest. Your doctor is looking for an air- and fluid-filled cavity in the middle of your lung.
The doctor might also use a device called a bronchoscope, a thin tube with a light and a camera on the end, to get samples of sputum or lung tissue for more tests if:
- Antibiotics aren’t helping.
- They think your airways are blocked.
- Your immune system is damaged.
How to Treat a Lung Abscess
There are several ways to treat a lung abscess:
Antibiotics. Most people get antibiotics into a vein for up to three to eight weeks. You might switch to oral antibiotics after that. You’ll take them until a chest X-ray shows the abscess is gone.
Drainage. You may need this if your abscess is 6 centimeters or more in diameter. Your doctor will use a CT scan to guide them as they insert the drain through your chest wall into the abscess.
Surgery. It’s rare, but some people need surgery to remove the part of the lung with the abscess. Sometimes, the entire lung has to come out to get rid of the infection. Surgery can also help remove a foreign object.
What Are the Complications of an Untreated Lung Abscess?
If left untreated, a lung abscess can cause complications such as:
Chronic abscess. That’s what it’s called if it lasts more than six weeks.
Empyema. This is when an abscess breaks into the space between your lungs and chest wall and fills the space with pus.
Bleeding. It’s rare, but sometimes an abscess can destroy a blood vessel and cause serious bleeding.
Bronchopleural fistula. This is an opening between the tubes in your lungs and the layers that cover them.
Outlook
Antibiotics help most people make a full recovery. And the earlier you get treatment, the better. It may be harder to bounce back if you’re weak, ill, have a weakened immune system, or have a tumor that blocks your airways.
Takeaways
A lung abscess is a pus-filled cavity in your lung surrounded by inflamed tissue. Breathing in bacteria that normally live in the mouth or throat into the lungs, triggering infection, is usually the cause. Lung abscesses are typically diagnosed with imaging tests, such as an X-ray or CT scan. They’re treated with antibiotics, drainage, or surgery.
Lung Abscess FAQs
What is the survival rate for lung abscess?
More than 90% of lung abscesses are cured with medical help, such as antibiotics, drainage, or surgery.
How long is the hospital stay for a lung abscess?
That depends on several factors, but in general, the hospital stay for a lung abscess is about 30 days.
How long do antibiotics take to treat a lung abscess?
Antibiotic treatment for lung abscess can last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the size of the abscess.
How long does it take to recover from a lung abscess?
It may take several weeks to a month, depending on the size and severity.
Can you cough up a lung abscess?
No. But a lung abscess may trigger coughing that brings up mucus.
