biostudies-literatureUnknown184(9)Buonsenso DUniversità Cattolica del Sacro CuoreAn increase in severe and invasive infections has been reported since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most evidence comes from monocentric studies without nationwide representativeness. This multicenter, nationwide, retrospective study, conducted within the network of the Italian Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SITIP), aimed to compare the severity of empyema at presentation in children (aged 1 month to 18 years) admitted to 19 Italian hospitals before, during, and after the pandemic. A severe composite outcome was defined as either fatality, need for respiratory support or thoracic surgery, or admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Among the 266 patients included in the study (38.7% females, median age of 4 years [IQR 2-7 years]), 95 (35.8%) were reported during European journal of pediatrics594https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12408734biostudies-literatureIncidence, etiologies, and outcomes of severe pediatric community-acquired empyema before and after the pandemic: an Italian multicentric study.PMC12408734Cardinale FNicolini GDe Luca MBosis SScarlato LNaselli APattarino GMariani MSITIP Empyema Working GroupGalli LBurzio VZama DMontagnani CChiappini EDi Napoli LColomba CRomani LDenina MLorenzetti GLiguoro ICamporesi ALo Vecchio ABuonsenso DMontonesi SGarazzino SfalseIncidence, etiologies, and outcomes of severe pediatric community-acquired empyema before and after the pandemic: an Italian multicentric study.An increase in severe and invasive infections has been reported since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most evidence comes from monocentric studies without nationwide representativeness. This multicenter, nationwide, retrospective study, conducted within the network of the Italian Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SITIP), aimed to compare the severity of empyema at presentation in children (aged 1 month to 18 years) admitted to 19 Italian hospitals before, during, and after the pandemic. A severe composite outcome was defined as either fatality, need for respiratory support or thoracic surgery, or admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Among the 266 patients included in the study (38.7% females, median age of 4 years [IQR 2-7 years]), 95 (35.8%) were reported during 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Sep2026-06-04T16:49:18.883Z2026-05-13T14:24:29.714ZS-EPMC124087344090366310.1007/s00431-025-06411-2