Subxiphoid Pericardiotomy Research Articles

741 ACUTE PURULENT MYOPERICARDITIS SECONDARY TO ULTRASOUND-GUIDED TRANSBRONCHIAL NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY

Abstract Introduction Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive diagnostic method to sample peritracheal and peribronchial le- sions under real-time ultrasound guidance. The most important use of TBNA is the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer and the evaluation of sarcoidosis. Although TBNA is considered generally safe, serious or even fatal complication may develop after the procedure. Here we present a case report of acute purulent myopericarditis complicated by cardiac tamponade occurred after EBUS-TBNA procedure. Case Report A 62-year-old man with preexisting hypertension and previous myocardial infarction and coronary angioplasty was admitted to our hospital for persistent, oppressive and worsening chest pain, which started a few days before admission. Of note, the patient underwent EBUS-TBNA 10 days before admission because he was found to have a tumor in the upper lobe of the left lung and enlargement of multiple mediastinal, right hilar, subcarinal and para-aortic lymph nodes. Two days after the procedure, one week before admission, he was treated with amoxicillin clavulanate and levofloxacin because of fever onset. At the ER, his vital signs showed a blood pressure of 80/60 mmHg and a heart rate of 115 bpm; O2 saturation on room-temperature air was 97%. The ECG at presentation showed concave ST segment elevation in anterolateral and inferior leads. The echocardiography revealed moderate circumferential pericardial effusion without clear tamponade signs. Emergency coronary angiography showed patent coronary arteries. The next morning, the patient developed persistent hypotension (BP 75/50 mmHg). A transthoracic echo showed moderate to large circumferential pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. He therefore underwent subxiphoid pericardiotomy with drainage of 400 ml of frank pus. Cultures from pericardial fluid were negative for common germs. Cytology was negative for malignancy and acid-fast bacilli. Histological examination of the pericardial tissue was diagnostic for acute fibrinous-purulent pericarditis. The patient was started on broad spectrum antibiotics (piperacillin/tazobactam and ciprofloxacin) with subsequent decrease of inflammation markers and clinical improvement. Control contrast enhanced chest CT scan revealed persistency of a mediastinal pluri-concamerate fluid collection. After a collective discussion with cardiac surgeons, infectious disease specialists and oncologists, given the progressive clinical and instrumental improvement, we decided to discharge the patient with long term oral antibiotics plus colchicine and ibuprofen for pericarditis. Infectious disease and oncological follow up was planned before discharge. Conclusion Complications following TBNA are relatively low, typically around 1.2%-1.4%. To date, only few cases of purulent pericarditis secondary to EBUS-TBNA have been reported in literature. Our case report adds to the existing scant literature regarding cardiac infective bronchoscopic complications and emphasizes concern of weather antibiotic prophylaxis may be needed before respiratory tract invasive procedures. Further research is necessary to better understand the existence of risk factors that could increase the probability to develop such rare but potentially lethal complications.

PURULENT PERICARDITIS AND PURULENT PERICARDIAL EFFUSION DUE TO METHICILLIN-SENSITIVE STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MSSA) IN A PATIENT TAKING SARILUMAB AND STEROIDS

PURULENT PERICARDITIS AND PURULENT PERICARDIAL EFFUSION DUE TO METHICILLIN-SENSITIVE STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MSSA) IN A PATIENT TAKING SARILUMAB AND STEROIDS

Intrapericardial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in purulent pericarditis- case series

BackgroundPericardial constriction is one of the complications of purulent pericarditis (PP). Most difficult to treat, which may develop both in early and in the late period of the disease, resulting in a very poor prognosis.Case presentationWe present case series of 4 patients with purulent pericarditis, in whom direct intrapericardial administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) was used.Management of PP requires a combined surgical and medical approach. The most important is complete drainage of the effusion by subxiphoid pericardiotomy connected with complementary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Despite the use of broad- spectrum antibiotics, in some patients a large volume of daily drainage is still present. Constrictive pericarditis as a complication of PP is observed in majority of patients.Intrapericardial administration of fibrinolytic agents, although not strongly recommended, can improve efficacy of antibiotic treatment especially in patients with loculation fluid and can prevent the development of constrictive pericarditis.r-tPA was applied at a dose of 20 mg dissolved in 100 ml of normal saline in a 100 ml syringe, administered by a large pericardial drain (Pezzer drain) installed into the pericardial cavity during pericardioscopy. The tube was closed and re-opened after 24 h.No serious complications, such as bleeding, allergy or hypotension, were noted.ConclusionWe present case series of 4 patients with purulent pericarditis, in whom direct intrapericardial administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA), prevented the development of constrictive pericarditis, and increased efficacy of antibiotic treatment without any significant complications.

Surgical results in acute type A aortic dissection with preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Survival and neurological outcome.

BackgroundAcute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening disease that requires emergent surgical intervention. This retrospective study aimed to clarify the individual characteristics, short-term and mid-term outcomes, and prognostic factors of patients who underwent surgical repair of ATAAD with preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).MethodsBetween January 2007 and January 2020, 656 consecutive patients underwent ATAAD repair at our institution; 22 (3.4%) of these patients underwent CPR prior to surgery. Patients who underwent preoperative CPR were classified as the survivor group (n = 9) and non-survivor group (n = 13), according to whether they survived to hospital discharge. Clinical features, surgical information, and postoperative complications were analyzed and compared. Three-year cumulative survival rates and cerebral performance categories (CPC) scores are presented.ResultsIn patients undergoing CPR prior to ATAAD surgery, the in-hospital mortality rate was 59.1%. A total of 72.7% of patients underwent concomitant surgical resuscitation procedures during CPR such as emergent subxiphoid pericardiotomy and/or emergent cardiopulmonary bypass. The survivor group had a higher rate of return of spontaneous heartbeat (ROSB) compared to the non-survivor group (100% versus 53.8%; P = 0.017). The 3-year cumulative survival rates were 35.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.6%–42.6%) and 85.7% (95% CI, 81.9%–88.8%) for overall patients and for survivors, respectively. As for the neurological outcome, 77.8% (7/9) of patients had full cerebral performance (CPC-1) at the 3-month follow-up examination after discharge.ConclusionsPatients with ATAAD undergoing preoperative CPR, especially those without ROSB after CPR, are at high risk for in-hospital mortality. However, the short-term and mid-term outcomes, including the cerebral performance after discharge and 3-year survival rate, are promising for patients who survived to discharge.

Surgical rescues for critical hemopericardium complicated by acute type A aortic dissection: Emergent subxiphoid pericardiotomy or cardiopulmonary bypass first?

BackgroundHemopericardium is a common and hazardous complication of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). This retrospective study aimed to clarify the short-term and mid-term outcomes in patients who underwent surgical rescues for hemopericardium complicated by ATAAD.MethodsBetween January 2007 and March 2019, 586 consecutive patients underwent ATAAD repair at our institution. According to preoperative computed tomography, hemopericardium was found in 191 patients (32.6%), 150 were stabilized with medical treatment, and 41 underwent surgical rescues for critical hemodynamics. The 41 patients were classified into groups according to their rescue procedures: emergent subxiphoid pericardiotomy (E-SXP group, n = 26, 63.4%) or emergent cardiopulmonary bypass (E-CPB group, n = 15, 36.6%). Clinical features, surgical information, postoperative complications, and 3-year survival were analyzed and compared.ResultsDemographics, comorbidities and aortic repair procedures were generally homogenous between the two groups, except for sex. The average systolic blood pressure was 62.4 ± 13.3 mmHg and 67.1 ± 13.1 mmHg in the E-SXP and E-CPB groups, respectively. A total of 29.3% of patients underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before surgical rescues. The in-hospital mortality was similar (30.8% versus 33.3%, P = 0.865) in the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative CPR was an in-hospital predictor of mortality. For patients who survived to discharge, 3-year cumulative survival rates were 87.8% ± 8.1% and 60.0% ± 19.7% in the E-SXP and E-CPB groups, respectively (P = 0.170).ConclusionsPatients who underwent surgical rescues for ATAAD-complicated hemopericardium are at a high risk of in-hospital mortality. The two rescue procedures revealed similar short-term and mid-term outcomes.

METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS-INDUCED PERICARDITIS AND PERICARDIAL TAMPONADE IN AIDS PATIENT: PRESENTATION, PROGRESSION, AND MANAGEMENT

SESSION TITLE: Monday Medical Student/Resident Case Report Posters SESSION TYPE: Med Student/Res Case Rep Postr PRESENTED ON: 10/21/2019 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM INTRODUCTION: We report a case of 46-year old woman with untreated AIDS (CD4 count 12), and recurrent neck abscesses, who presented with a neck abscess, and developed acute pericarditis, which resulted in pericardial effusion and tamponade. Blood, purulent drainage from the abscess, and pericardial fluid cultures were positive for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The patient was successfully treated with 6 weeks of IV Vancomycin, and pericardial drainage. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 46 year old woman with past medical history of AIDS (Most recent CD4 count 12) who was not on anti-retroviral therapy due to social reasons with recurrent skin/soft tissue infections, who presented with fever and chest pain of 1 week duration. She also reported a recurrent anterior neck mass. On hospital admission, her chest pain was constant for the past week, and is worse with movement and deep inspiration. She states the pain is under her left breast and radiates towards her left shoulder. She denies shortness of breath, or lower extremity edema. DISCUSSION: MRSA Pericarditis is a very rare life-threatening infection, with only a few cases reported in literature [1] [2] [3]. Mortality rates for purulent pericarditis were reported to be as high as 40% in the treated population. In immunosuppressed patients or following thoracic surgery, Staphylococcus aureus (30%) and fungi (20%) are more common [10]. CONCLUSIONS: Management of MRSA pericarditis was done through pericardial drain, with some cases treated with pericardial window (Class I recommendation for pericardial window, and Class IIa for subxiphoid pericardiotomy by 2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology). Our case was managed by pericardial drainage alone, and although she had recurrence of pericardial effusion, pericardiotomy was felt to be very risky given her AIDS with CD4 count Reference #1: 1) Kurahara, Y. and Kawaguchi, T. Cardiac Tamponade with Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pericarditis. Intern Med. 2013;52(15):1753. Reference #2: 2)Hussam, M., Ragai, M., Iman, M. and Zakaria, A. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis presenting as cardiac tamponade. South Med J. 2010 Aug;103(8):834-6 Reference #3: 3)Oizumi, H., Ichinokawa, H., Hoshino, H., Shitara, J. and Suzuki, K. Pericardial Window for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pericarditis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2019 Jan;107(1):e27-e29. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Laith Ali, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Brian Cuneo, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Amre Ghazzal, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Tariq Sallam, source=Web Response

Subxiphoid Tube Pericardiostomy in the Management of Pericardial Effusion: Our Experience

Introduction – There is minimal amount of fluid within the two layers of the pericardium. This serves to lubricate the layers preventing friction. Various disease processes can lead to increase in the amount of this fluid which cause haemodynamic compromise these patients. Various methods have been used to drain this fluid. We report our experience with subxiphoid tube pericardiotomy in the drainage of pericardial effusion. Material and Method – we reviewed case files of 30 patients that presented to us with pericardial effusion over a six-year period. Results - There were 19 males (63.3%) and 11 females (36.7%). Age range is between 2 yrs and 65 years with a mean of 27.3 yrs. Adult age group accounted for 25 (83.3%) while paediatric age group was 5 (16.7%). Predominant symptom was dyspnea and all patients had subxiphoid tube pericardiostomy for drainage. Majority of our patients (80%) had tuberculosis as the cause of their effusion. Mortality was 3 (10%) following the drainage but cause of death was progression of their disease. The was recurrence in one patient who had malignant effusion and was subsequently treated with pericardial window but later lost to follow up. Conclusion - Subxiphoid tube pericardiostomy still remains the main stay in the management of massive tuberculous pericardial effusion in our environment as it provides the opportunity to drain the fluid and take adequate fluid samples and tissue for diagnosis. Recurrence rate is also low.

Intrapericardial cisplatin combined with oral colchicine resulted in long term control of malignant pericardial effusion in the course of metastatic renal cancer.

Background Neoplastic pericardial effusion (NPE) represents a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patient with cancer. NPE presents frequently as cardiac tamponade, requiring urgent pericardiocentesis or pericardiotomy, with subsequent pericardial fluid drainage. Despite high effectiveness of such procedures, the recurrence of effusion is noted in 30- 60% of patients. Intrapericardial therapy with cisplatin was found to be effective in NPE due to lung and breast cancer. Its role in cardiac tamponade due to renal cancer is unknown. Case presentation We presented 82-year-old man with renal cancer who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit because of threatening pericardial tamponade due to NPE . Urgent subxiphoid pericardiotomy was performed with subsequent evacuation of 1000ml of bloody fluid. On the inner surface of the pericardium several pink nodules were found. Histological examination revealed carcinoma clarocellulare. In view of the persistent high drainage of the pericardium, intrapericardial cisplatin therapy was performed. The first day after surgery colchicine 0.5 mg/day/po was also introduced. No side effects of this treatment were observed. The patient died 12- month later due to cancer progression and cachexia. No recurrence of pericardial effusion was observed. Conclusion This is the first case study demonstrating long-term efficacy and safety of intrapericardial cisplatin combined with oral colchicine in NPE due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

ROLE OF THE PERICARDIOSCOPY IN THE TREATMENT OF PERICARDIAL EFFUSION

In recent years surgical treatment of pericardial effusion has been favoured by mini-invasive interventions. Pericardioscopy supplements it. In the literature actively discusses its expediency, efficiency and informativeness. Aim of the study. Analyze our experience of using pericardioscopy during surgical treatment of pericardial effusion using mini-invasive interventions. Materials and methods. From 2000 to 2017, 92 patients with pericardial effusion were operated in our clinic using mini-invasive interventions. Pericardioscopy was used in 72 (78.26 %) cases. In 32 (44.44 %) pericardioscopy was performed with subxiphoid pericardiotomy, in 40 (55.56 %) – with thoracoscopy on the right or left side. Results and discussion. The use of pericardioscopy has allowed to significantly reduce the number of idiopathic pericarditis from 20.0 % to 5.56 % and increase the informativeness of the minimally invasive interventions by 14.44 % (χ2 = 4.11, with ν = 1, α = 5 %). There is no reliable difference in the number of relapses of the disease. Conclusions. The use of pericardioscopy during mini-invasive interventions is safe and effective. The method of choice in most cases is subxiphoid non-pleural pericardiotomy with pericardioscopy.

Intrapericardial fibrinolysis in purulent pericarditis-case report.

Purulent pericarditis (PP) continues to result in a very serious prognosis and high mortality. The most serious complication of pericarditis is constriction. Intrapericardial administration of fibrinolytic agents, although controversial, can prevent the development of constrictions. We present the case of a 63-year-old man with purulent inflammation of the right knee who was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) via emergency room orthopedic evaluation because of purulent pericarditis. Subxiphoid pericardiotomy was urgently performed, with 1200 ml of thick purulent fluid evacuated. As prevention for pericardial constriction, it was decided to administer fibrinolysis to the patient’s pericardial cavity. Administration of streptokinase was complicated by the occurrence of a severe retrosternal pain and intrapericardial bleeding. Due to insufficiency of antibiotic therapy, 17 days after complicated fibrinolytic therapy with streptokinase, it was decided to administer 20 mg of r-tPA directly into the pericardium. In the following days, there remained a high drainage of purulent secretions. Fever up to 38 °C was still observed despite the use of antibiotics. Nine days after first administration of r-tPA, it was decided to apply the next dose. Daily drainage decreased from 50 to 20 ml in successive days. No fluid accumulation and symptoms and signs of constrictions were observed in clinical examinations as well as in echocardiography performed during 7 years follow-up after discharge.

Blind subxiphoid pericardiotomy to relieve critical acute hemopericardium: a final report.

Percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) has been considered a standard method of relieving acute cardiac tamponade. Although conventional subxiphoid pericardiotomy is useful even for clotted hemopericardium, it has been believed to be unsuitable for emergency treatment because it is a time-consuming procedure. We report our modified pericardiotomy technique that can be used for emergency management. We designed a prospective observational study to evaluate blind subxiphoid pericardiotomy (BSP) for critical cardiac tamponade due to hemopericardium. Emergency patients (n= 148) with acute hemopericardium secondary to trauma (n=12), acute aortic disease (n=122), or cardiac rupture following acute myocardial infarction (n=14) were the subjects. Early results were compared between the BSP group (n=53) and the PCD group (n=95). BSP was effective at relieving cardiac tamponade in all 53 cases, but PCD was ineffective in 12 cases (12.6%, p=0.008). Procedure-related complication rates of BSP and PCD were 0 and 16.8%, respectively (p=0.002). Survival rates for the BSP and PCD groups were 18.9 and 6.3%, respectively (p=0.018). Since 2005, when we discarded the restriction that only board-certified surgeons should perform BSP, acute care physicians (including trainees) have performed BSP for 22 patients without procedure-related complications. BSP was safe and effective for cardiac tamponade due to acute hemopericardium. Critical complications during PCD for hemopericardium could not be avoided in some cases because of clots in the pericardium.

Diagnosis and management of pericardial effusion

Pericardial effusion is a common finding in everyday clinical practice. The first challenge to the clinician is to try to establish an etiologic diagnosis. Sometimes, the pericardial effusion can be easily related to a known underlying disease, such as acute myocardial infarction, cardiac surgery, end-stage renal disease or widespread metastatic neoplasm. When no obvious cause is apparent, some clinical findings can be useful to establish a diagnosis of probability. The presence of acute inflammatory signs (chest pain, fever, pericardial friction rub) is predictive for acute idiopathic pericarditis irrespective of the size of the effusion or the presence or absence of tamponade. Severe effusion with absence of inflammatory signs and absence of tamponade is predictive for chronic idiopathic pericardial effusion, and tamponade without inflammatory signs for neoplastic pericardial effusion. Epidemiologic considerations are very important, as in developed countries acute idiopathic pericarditis and idiopathic pericardial effusion are the most common etiologies, but in some underdeveloped geographic areas tuberculous pericarditis is the leading cause of pericardial effusion. The second point is the evaluation of the hemodynamic compromise caused by pericardial fluid. Cardiac tamponade is not an "all or none" phenomenon, but a syndrome with a continuum of severity ranging from an asymptomatic elevation of intrapericardial pressure detectable only through hemodynamic methods to a clinical tamponade recognized by the presence of dyspnea, tachycardia, jugular venous distension, pulsus paradoxus and in the more severe cases arterial hypotension and shock. In the middle, echocardiographic tamponade is recognized by the presence of cardiac chamber collapses and characteristic alterations in respiratory variations of mitral and tricuspid flow. Medical treatment of pericardial effusion is mainly dictated by the presence of inflammatory signs and by the underlying disease if present. Pericardial drainage is mandatory when clinical tamponade is present. In the absence of clinical tamponade, examination of the pericardial fluid is indicated when there is a clinical suspicion of purulent pericarditis and in patients with underlying neoplasia. Patients with chronic massive idiopathic pericardial effusion should also be submitted to pericardial drainage because of the risk of developing unexpected tamponade. The selection of the pericardial drainage procedure depends on the etiology of the effusion. Simple pericardiocentesis is usually sufficient in patients with acute idiopathic or viral pericarditis. Purulent pericarditis should be drained surgically, usually through subxiphoid pericardiotomy. Neoplastic pericardial effusion constitutes a more difficult challenge because reaccumulation of pericardial fluid is a concern. The therapeutic possibilities include extended indwelling pericardial catheter, percutaneous pericardiostomy and intrapericardial instillation of antineoplastic and sclerosing agents. Massive chronic idiopathic pericardial effusions do not respond to medical treatment and tend to recur after pericardiocentesis, so wide anterior pericardiectomy is finally necessary in many cases.

Porridge-like tuberculous cardiac tamponade: treatment difficulties in the Horn of Africa

A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized for fever, chest pain, and cardiovascular collapse. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a 30-mm circumferential echogenic "porridge-like" pericardial effusion with signs of cardiac tamponade. Tuberculosis (TB) was suspected because of its prevalence in Djibouti. Emergency pericardiocentesis was attempted, but only 10 ml of pericardial fluid was obtained. Subxiphoid pericardiotomy and drainage were then performed, and pericardial fibrinous pockets were surgically collapsed. Antituberculosis chemotherapy was given, and the pericardial effusion progressively disappeared without corticosteroids. The diagnosis of TB was subsequently confirmed by cultures of the pericardial fluid. A pericardial biopsy was normal. After 3 months of follow-up, there was no sign of constrictive pericarditis. Pericardiocentesis may fail in cases of advanced-stage fibrinous TB pericardial effusion. Thus, pericardiotomy with complete open draining is the only lifesaving procedure.

Endoscopic treatment for delayed cardiac tamponade

Cardiac tamponade occurring during the late postoperative period after open-heart surgery is an extremely serious complication. One surgical therapy is a finger dissection through subxiphoid incision. The main limitation is an incomplete view into the pericardial sac. To make subxiphoid exploration more effective, we developed a novel technique of endoscope-assisted removal of delayed cardiac tamponade through subxiphoid pericardiotomy. Surgery was performed under optical guidance of an endoscopic retractor routinely used for harvesting saphenous veins for bypass grafting. After the subxiphoid pericardiotomy, we introduced the endoscopic retractor into the pericardial space, and the haematoma was completely evacuated using a suction apparatus and endoscopic forceps. Between January 2008 and March 2009, three patients underwent endoscope-assisted removal of late cardiac tamponade. The haematoma was completely removed without re-sternotomy. No bleeding or tamponade occurred following the procedure. An endoscopic approach for treating late cardiac tamponade provides the advantages of minimally invasive surgery through subxiphoid pericardiotomy combined with an optimal surgical perspective. This novel technique permits exploration of the pericardium and helps prevent new wounds.

The effect of different relieving methods on the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with nontraumatic hemopericardium in the ED

Aims This study aimed to assess the impact of different methods of draining nontraumatic hemopericardium on outcome from patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), identify independent predictors of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and examine the ineffective rate of decompression based on subxiphoid pericardiotomy (SP) and percutaneous pericardial catheter drainage (PCD). Methods Adult patients with OHCA who presented to the ED between May 1, 2000, and October 30, 2006, with moderate to massive nontraumatic hemopericardium were recruited and stratified into 4 groups according to the relieving methods of hemopericardium. Charts were reviewed for various demographic data, resuscitation records, management, and outcome. Patient outcome was recorded as survival to hospital discharge and ROSC, as primary end points. Effective decompression was recorded as a secondary end point. We compared the outcome between the groups. Results A total of 1491 OHCA resuscitation records were prospective collected. There were 23 OHCA patients with moderate to massive nontraumatic hemopericardium. The overall ROSC rate was 39.1% (9/23). There was a clear difference in the ROSC rate between 4 groups ( P < .05). The overall rate of survival to hospital discharge was 4.3% (1/23). There was no significant difference in the rate of survival to hospital discharge between the groups. Relieving methods was an independent predictor of ROSC in OHCA patients with nontraumatic hemopericardium (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-0.70). There was a significant statistical difference in adequate relief of hemopericardium based on SP and PCD ( P < .01). Conclusion The early effective decompression method is associated with an increased rate of ROSC for OHCA patients with nontraumatic hemopericardium. Subxiphoid pericardiotomy has a better effective decompression of hemopericardium than PCD.

Cardiac tamponade: a new complication in a patient with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes

We report the first case of cardiac tamponade in a 14-year-old female patient with an underlying illness of mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). The patient underwent a subxiphoid pericardiocentesis and pericardiotomy smoothly and was discharged with no sequelae. The coexistence of massive pericardial effusion and MELAS has never been mentioned in any literature. This case report attempts to exemplify the possibility of this connection.

Blind Subxiphoid Pericardiotomy for Cardiac Tamponade Because of Acute Hemopericardium

Percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) is not always effective in a case of hemopericardium. Acute occlusion of catheter and cardiac perforation can happen more often. To perform subxiphoid pericardiotomy within a minute for emergency cases, we have done this procedure in a blind method after finger dissection by subxiphoid approach. We report the usefulness of blind subxiphoid pericardiotomy (BSP) based on the results of a prospective control study. We designed a study to determine a favorable management for cardiac tamponade resulting from hemopericardium. In an emergency case of cardiac tamponade because of hemopericardium, board certified surgeons should perform BSP and other emergency physicians should perform PCD, with or without local anesthesia. PCD (n = 67) and BSP (n = 16) were performed for patients with cardio-pulmonary arrest (CPA) or near CPA because of cardiac tamponade secondary to trauma (n = 7), acute aortic dissection (n = 65), and cardiac rupture following acute myocardial infarction (n = 11) in our emergency medical center from January 2000 to December 2004. BSP was effective in all cases but PCD was ineffective in five cases because of clotting in pericardium (p = 0.260). No complication was observed in the BSP group but five critical complications and three infeasible drainage complications were observed in the PCD group (p = 0.146). Ten patients (BSP, 4; PCD, 6; p = 0.077) survived after emergency surgery (n = 8) or conservative treatment (n = 2). BSP was safe and could be performed quickly in an emergency situation. Percutaneous catheter drainage for hemopericardium could not avoid critical complications because of clotting in pericardium.

Less-Invasive Surgical Extraction of Problematic or Infected Permanent Transvenous Pacemaker System

The best management of problematic or infected transvenous permanent pacemaker system is complete surgical or percutaneous intravascular extraction of the pacemaker leads and removal of the generator. We present our experiences in 13 such patients in whom the leads were removed with the less-invasive technique. From 1996 to 2003, 13 patients, from 31 to 83 years of age (mean, 66.9 +/- 14.0 years), with problematic or infected transvenous permanent pacemaker systems were referred to our department for surgical treatment. In 6 patients, the original pacemakers were dual-chamber. A subxiphoid pericardiotomy was used as the monitoring port during the ventricular lead extraction. In addition, a right parasternal pericardiotomy through the third intercostal space was used as the monitoring port during the atrial lead extraction. Pacemaker systems were completely removed in all patients. Three bleeding episodes (23%), including two right atrial tears and one right ventricular rupture, were successfully circumvented through these monitoring ports. Concomitantly, a new epicardial single-chamber device was implanted through the subxiphoid pericardiotomy whenever indicated in 9 patients. All patients recovered and were discharged uneventfully. At a mean follow-up of 24.8 months (range, 1 to 90 months), no recurrent infections were observed. A less-invasive technique for explantation of the complete pacemaker system is feasible. This is a reliable method to eradicate infection. Neither cardiopulmonary bypass nor specific intravascular lead extraction devices, such as locking stylets or laser-assisted sheath, are needed.

Effectiveness of Intrapericardial Administration of Streptokinase in Purulent Pericarditis

Purulent pericarditis is very rare. However, among patients suffering from this disease the mortality rate is very high. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of intrapericardial streptokinase administration in patients with confirmed purulent pericarditis. Three patients, one 50-year-old man and two women aged 64 and 40 years, who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to purulent pericarditis, entered the study. In all three cases a subxiphoid pericardiotomy followed by insertion of a drainage line into the pericardial space was performed. Antibiotic therapy was started immediately on admission to the hospital. Despite continued antibiotic therapy in all three patients, daily drainage from the pericardium--during several days after surgery--staggered between 50-200 ml/day. Due to considerable purulent pericardial drainage loculations and/or fibrin deposits confirmed by echocardiography, streptokinase (500,000 IU dissolved in 50 ml of normal saline) was administered into the pericardial space over 10 min, using the previously inserted drainage catheter. This regimen was repeated after 12 and 24 h. The total dose of streptokinase was 1,500,000 IU. The clinical effect of intrapericardial streptokinase administration was excellent. Several days after intrapericardial administration of streptokinase, drainage of purulent pericardial fluid stopped. No complications associated with intrapericardial streptokinase administration were observed. In the follow-up echocardiography (in two patients repeated 6 and 9 months after delivery of streptokinase), pericardial fluid and echocardiographic signs of pericardial constriction were not observed. Intrapericardial administration of streptokinase in purulent pericarditis is effective and safe.

Anesthetic management of cardiac tamponade after dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy

We report a case of cardiac tamponade in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy after undergoing dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation. General anesthesia was required for subxiphoid pericardiotomy. Although the occurrence rate of adverse events with ICDs has been reported to be high, the acute onset of significant cardiac tamponade is uncommon as a short-term complication of ICD implantation. We describe our anesthetic management of cardiac tamponade in the ICD patient with dilated cardiomyopathy.