Purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is rare and fatal. There are limited data in children in the current antibiotic era, and available reports usually involve patients with immune dysfunction and prior thoracic instrumentation or has a thoracic focus of infection. Rapid recognition and treatment are paramount in the survival of patients. We report a case of purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade secondary to community-acquired MRSA in a previously healthy 10-month-old male infant who presented with fever, pallor, shock, and cardio-respiratory distress. CBC showed leukocytosis with neutrophilia, markedly elevated inflammatory markers, and cardiomegaly on chest radiography. The ECG showed diffuse concave ST-segment elevation, low QRS voltages on precordial leads, and electrical alternans consistent with pericarditis with probable significant pericardial effusion confirmed by 2D echocardiography with note of cardiac tamponade. He was managed effectively with pericardiostomy in combination with a 4-week course of vancomycin. Blood and pericardial fluid culture grew MRSA. This case underscores the organism’s lethality and its potential to infect immunocompetent children without predisposing factors. The value of early recognition, prompt initiation of treatment and management is of utmost importance.
Pericardial Window Techniques

A 40-year-old male patient underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Although pulmonary vein (PV) isolation was successfully completed without acute complications, the patient began complaining of sustained retrosternal pain. Seventeen days after ablation, the patient visited the emergency room with fever and severe chest pain with pericarditis-like features. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed clustered air bubbles in the pericardial space. Esophagography confirmed leakage of contrast agent into the pericardial space but not into the left atrium. While performing pericardiostomy, the operator confirmed the absence of active bleeding from the left atrium. Because there were no signs of left atrial-esophageal fistula, such as systemic embolization, conservative management based on strict fasting with fluids and antibiotic therapy was undertaken. Follow-up esophagography performed 2 weeks later showed no more contrast agent leakage, and the patient was discharged without further incident.
Adult ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Catheter Ablation ; Chest Pain ; Drainage* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Esophagus ; Fasting ; Fever ; Fistula* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Atria ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericardium ; Pulmonary Veins ; Thorax

A 49-year-old female presented with severe dyspnea. She was diagnosed with cardiac tamponade combined with ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm and rupture, which was caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. This extremely rare condition was managed by an emergency pericardiostomy and two separate aortic operations. Antibiotics active for the K. pneumoniae isolate were used throughout. The patient was well for nine months after discharge and continues to be followed up for signs of possible reinfection.
Aneurysm, False ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Rupture* ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Dyspnea ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericarditis* ; Pneumonia ; Rupture

Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant, multisystem disorder. Autoimmune thyroiditis with hypothyroidism is an infrequent feature in patients with Noonan syndrome. A 16-year-old boy was admitted because of chest discomfort and dyspnea; an echocardiogram revealed pericardial effusion. Additional investigations led to a diagnosis of severe hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto thyroiditis. The patient was treated with L-thyroxine at 0.15 mg daily. However, during admission, he developed symptoms of cardiac tamponade. Closed pericardiostomy was performed, after which the patient's chest discomfort improved, and his vital signs stabilized. Herein, we report a case of an adolescent with Noonan syndrome, who was diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis with an unusual presentation of cardiac tamponade.
Adolescent ; Cardiac Tamponade* ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Hashimoto Disease* ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Male ; Noonan Syndrome* ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Thorax ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Thyroxine ; Vital Signs

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Cardiac Tamponade/etiology ; Drainage ; Empyema, Pleural/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology/therapy ; Heart Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology/therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*therapy ; Male ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/etiology ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericardiocentesis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory/*adverse effects ; Peritonitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/microbiology ; Pleural Effusion/etiology ; Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the results of surgical reduction and fixation of ribs under thoracic epidural anesthesia and analgesia (TEA) in patients who had no more than 3 consecutive rib fractures with severe displacement to examine the clinical usefulness of this method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2008 to March 2010, 35 patients underwent surgical reduction and fixation of ribs under TEA. We reviewed the indications for this technique, number of fixed ribs, combined surgical procedures for thoracic trauma, intraoperative cardiopulmonary events, postoperative complications, reestablishment of enteral nutrition, and ambulation. RESULTS: The indications of TEA were malunion or nonunion of fractured ribs in 29 (82.9%; first operation) and incompletely ribs under previous general anesthesia in 6 (17.1%; second operation). The average number of fixed ribs per patient was 1.7 (range: 1~3). As a combined operation for thoracic trauma, 17 patients (48.6%) underwent removal of intrathoracic hematomas, and we performed repair of lung parenchyma (2), wedge resection of lung (1) for accompanying lung injury and pericardiostomy (1) for delayed hemopericardium. No patient had any intraoperative cardiopulmonary event nor did any need to switch to general anesthesia. We experienced 3 postoperative complications (8.6%): 2 extrapleural hematomas that spontaneously resolved without treatment and 1 wound infection treated with secondary closure of the wound. All patients reestablished oral feeding immediately after awakening and resumed walking ambulation the day after operation. CONCLUSION: Thoracic epidural anesthesia and analgesia (TEA) may positively affect cardiopulmonary function in the perioperative period. Moreover, this technique leads to an earlier return of gastrointestinal function and early ambulation without severe postoperative complications, resulting in a shortened hospital stay and lowered costs.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Early Ambulation ; Enteral Nutrition ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lung ; Lung Injury ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Perioperative Period ; Postoperative Complications ; Rib Fractures ; Ribs ; Tea ; Walking ; Wound Infection

With the advent of 2- and 3-mm endoscopic instruments, a thoracoscopic pericardiectomy can be performed with relative ease and with almost no postoperative scar. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease who had a large volume of pericardial effusion that did not abate after repeated dialysis. A pericardial window was performed by needlescopy for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons, and her postoperative scar was minimal. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and she has had no complications or recurrence of pericardial or pleural effusion.
Adult ; Cicatrix ; Dialysis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericardiectomy ; Pleural Effusion ; Recurrence ; Renal Dialysis ; Temefos ; Thoracoscopy

A 49-year-old man visited our hospital via the emergency room. He had suffered chest trauma by falling down. His chest X-Ray showed pneumomediastinum with pneumopericardium. We checked the Chest CT, and it showed pneumopericardium without any injury to the other organs, the compressed heart and a minimal pneumothorax on the left hemithorax. Closed thoracostomy was then done under local anesthesia. We then performed open pericardiostomy under general anesthesia. We got a good result and so we report on this case.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Local ; Emergencies ; Heart ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericardium ; Pneumopericardium ; Pneumothorax ; Thoracostomy ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: As the patients who undergo heart transplantation have achieved better survival in recent years, a growing number of recipients are at a risk for experiencing surgical complications in addition to rejection and infection. In this paper, we report on our experience with the surgical complications that occurred in heart transplant recipients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From April 1994 to September 2003, 37 heart transplantations were performed at our center by a single surgeon. The indications for transplantation were dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular cardiomyopathy and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. RESULT: Twenty postoperative complications required surgeries in 15 patients (41%). The types of operations required were; redo-sternotomy for bleeding (5), pericardiostomy for effusion (4), implantation of a permanent pacemaker (1), right lower lobe lobectomy for aspergilloma (1), removal of urinary stone (1), cholecystectomy for gall bladder stone (1), drainage of a perianal abscess (1), paranasal sinus drainage (1), total hip replacement (1), partial gingivectomy due to gingival hypertrophy (1), urethrostomy (1), herniated intervertebral disc operation (1) and total hysterectomy for myoma uteri (1). The locations of the complications were mediastinal in 10 (27%) cases and extramediastinal in 10 (27%) cases. CONCLUSION: The relatively high incidence of extrathoracic complications associated with heart transplantation emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the improve long-term survival when managing those complex patients.
Abscess ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial ; Cholecystectomy ; Drainage ; Gingival Hypertrophy ; Gingivectomy ; Heart ; Heart Transplantation ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc ; Myoma ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Postoperative Complications ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Transplants ; Urinary Bladder Calculi ; Urinary Calculi ; Uterus

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is characterized by unexplained blood eosinophilia > 1500/mm3 for more than 6 months and eosinophilic infiltration of several organs. A major source of the morbidity and mortality of this syndrome is the associated cardiac involvement. The typical cardiac involvement includes endocardial fibrosis and mural thrombus. We report a case of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome manifested as multiple regional wall motion abnormalities and moderate pericardial effusion on transthoracic echocardiography that was successfully treated by pericardiostomy and steroid therapy.
Echocardiography ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Fibrosis ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Thrombosis