A 42-year-old man with primary tongue cancer was admitted to our palliative care center for the control of pain due to multiple bone metastases. On 30th day after admission, he was suffering from pneumonia. And on 37th day, chest radiograph demonstrated pericardial emphysema, which developed to the pericardial abscess. Chest Computed Tomography showed lymph nodes metastases around the left main bronchus, and revealed that there was a fistula between the left main bronchus and the pericardium. The patient was faced to the difficulty in taking spine position because of excessive excretion of the sputum. Pericardiocentesis was then performed percutaneously and a tube for the drainage was placed. After the placement of drain tube, he restored good night sleep in the spine position and the complaints were reduced. Palliat Care Res 2008; 3(2): 321-325

Background
 According to the state of the world's children 2006, 28% of children under five years of age in sub-Sahara Africa are malnourished, which has serious effects on these children's health and lives.
 Extensive research has been conducted on child malnutrition in a variety of developing countries. These studies have established scientific indexes to lead and coordinate international action to assist the needy. Central African Republic, however, has been a blind spot. Therefore, the present study was conducted in order to clarify the nutritional status and associated factors of 6 to 24-month-old children in the district of Boy-rabe, Bangui, Central African Republic.
Methods
 Participants were mothers with children aged 6-24 months who visited either a government-run clinic or the NGO-run clinic, Amis d'Afrique, between August 26th and September 16th of 2006. Mothers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and measurements of the children's weight and length were collected. Weight, length, and age data were compared with child growth standards proposed by the WHO to calculated z-scores for evaluatinglength-for-age (wasting), weight-for-length (stunted growth), and weight-for-age (underweight). The following factors were investigated for their association to malnutrition in children: “demographic characteristics”, “access to food”, “maternal and child-care practices”, and “poor water/sanitation and inadequate health services”.
Results
 A total of 126 mother-child pairs participated in this study and valid data from 109 pairs were subjected to analysis. The rates of wasting, stunted growth, and underweight children were 20.2%, 61.5% and 42.2%, respectively.
 Incomplete vaccination (p=0.043) and the mother not having a partner (p=0.046) were significantly associated with wasting. Stunted growth was found to be associated with older child's age (p<0.001), older mothers' age (p=0.005), mothers who had stopped breast-feeding (p=0.031), insufficient breast-feeding (p=0.032), mothers with child death experience (p=0.022), mothers with a number of delivery experiences (p=0.026) and mothers with a partner (p=0.042). Underweight children were associated with incomplete vaccination (p=0.043) and mothers with child death experience (p=0.046).
Conclusion
 In total, 8 factors were found to be significantly associated with child's malnutrition and household/family level. In particular, severe acute malnutrition, or wasting, was related to insufficient vaccination, while chronic malnutrition, or stunted growth, was significantly associated with breast-feeding.