PURULENT PNEUMOCOCCIC PERICARDITIS: PERICARDIOTOMY: RECOVERY

Purulent pericarditis.

Purulent pericarditis is an infrequent, but important complication of infective illnesses, in particular pneumonia, which if diagnosed early has a good prognosis. The incidence of the condition is probably increasing, particularly in the immuno-compromised group of patients. 'Classical' symptoms and signs are often absent, and a high index of awareness is required to diagnose the condition. Thi...

Purulent pericarditis.

Eleven children under 16 years of age with purulent pericarditis were seen in one hospital in one year. The condition was always secondary to a septic focus elsewhere, usually staphylococcal pneumonia; its incidence after pneumonia was 0.64%, but this may be an underestimate. Clinical diagnosis can be difficult in patients with pneumonia as the heart is not always enlarged. Persistent or progre...

Purulent pericarditis.

5. A 73-year-old woman on hemodialysis presents with fever, chest pain, leukocytosis, and an enlarged cardiac silhouette. What would be the most common sign indicating impending tamponade? (A) Bradycardia (B) Hypertension (C) Pericardial rub (D) Tachycardia (E) Tachypnea 6. A 22-year-old woman diagnosed with pericarditis has an elevated cardiac troponin value on initial testing. What is the app...

Progressive Constrictive Pericarditis Shortly after Purulent Pericarditis

Intrapericardial streptokinase in purulent pericarditis.

Six consecutive children with proven purulent pericarditis were treated with pericardial irrigation with streptokinase. Mean (SD) 861 (678) ml (range 240-2000) of thick purulent fluid was drained, and five children had complete clearance of the pus within 3-8 days. One child developed intrapericardial haemorrhage with a submitral pseudoaneurysm and underwent patch closure of the neck of the ane...