HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Majid, A. A. Articles by Omar, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Majid, A. A. Articles by Omar, A.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 102, 413-417, Copyright © 1991 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Diagnosis and management of purulent pericarditis. Experience with pericardiectomy

AA Majid and A Omar
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Twelve cases of purulent pericarditis seen over 6 years are described. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative organism (six patients), and a respiratory infection was the most common preceding illness. The chest radiograph and echocardiogram were useful pointers to the diagnosis, but the electrocardiogram was not reliable. Antibiotics, surgical drainage, and pericardiectomy were used in all 12 cases. There was one death (8.3%), which occurred in a patient who was seen late. A review of the literature dealing with the diagnosis and management of this condition is presented. The importance of early diagnosis before a significant degree of cardiac tamponade occurs is noted. Although there is general agreement that surgical drainage is mandatory, the approach, methods of drainage, and extent of pericardial resection have been the subject of some discussion, and at least seven techniques are available. We conclude that pericardiectomy has a definite place in the management of purulent pericarditis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Leoncini, L. Iurilli, A. Queirolo, and G. Catrambone Primary and secondary purulent pericarditis in otherwise healthy adults Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg, October 1, 2006; 5(5): 652 - 654. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Farhat, O. Dubreuil, P.-G. Durand, and O. Jegaden Constrictive pericarditis following a pyopericardium due to Staphylococcus aureus Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg, December 1, 2003; 2(4): 626 - 628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Juneja, S. S Kothari, A. Saxena, R. Sharma, and A. Joshi Intrapericardial streptokinase in purulent pericarditis Arch. Dis. Child., March 1, 1999; 80(3): 275 - 277. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. H. Kim, G. D. Abrams, P. G. Pernicano, and K. A. Eagle Sudden Death in a 55-Year-Old Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Circulation, July 21, 1998; 98(3): 271 - 275. [Full Text] [PDF]