title: Fulminant Pneumococcal Pericarditis in a Previously Healthy Patient.
abstract: Purulent pericarditis is a rare acutely life-threatening condition. Initial symptoms, signs, and investigations can be nonspecific. Echocardiography is invaluable for establishing the diagnosis and initial management. We present a case of a previously healthy patient with purulent pericarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the absence of a primary focus of infection. The patient deteriorated rapidly with cardiac tamponade and septic shock and was managed successfully by a combined medical and surgical approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Cvetan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trpkov
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Alberta and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Ermin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Alberta and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Alberta and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Windram
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Alberta and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Canada. Electronic address: mmg2@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents