2026 Clinical Practice Guideline Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on The Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Infants and Children Older than 3 Months of Age: The Use of Pleural Fluid Drainage versus Observation

This paper is part of a larger clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of parapneumonic effusion and empyema in children, developed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In this paper, the panel provides recommendations for pleural fluid drainage in children (3 months to 18 years) with parapneumonic effusion and empyema. The panel's recommendations are based upon evidence derived from systematic literature reviews and adhere to a standardized methodology for rating the certainty of evidence and strength of recommendation according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach.