Tension empyema as a reversible cause for cardiac arrest.
Empyema is a well recognised complication of pneumonia.1 We report a case of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) treated in the emergency department (ED) with intercostal tube drainage based on clinical findings, where a tension empyema was found to be the cause. To our knowledge, this is the first report of actual cardiac arrest from this cause.
Bramley
D
D
Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Dowd
H
H
Muwanga
C
C
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology*; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male