PURULENT PERICARDITIS COMPLICATED WITH CARDIAC TAMPONADE IN TWO HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Purulent pericarditis caused by pyogenic microorganisms is an acute, even catastrophic illness. Usually patients with this disease have symptoms and signs of a systemic toxic condition and hemodynamic compromise. The most common sources of infection are extension from pulmonary disease, hematogenous spread, penetrating chest wall injuries and extension from subdiaphragmatic suppurative lesions. We report two patients with pericardial tamponade and hypotension who were treated with hemodialysis due to chronic renal failure.

Case one was a seventeen years old girl with cardiac tamponade due to purulent pericarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Case two was a 39 year old woman who underwent transplantation 9 years ago has rejected in the last 3 months. She was treated with hemodialysis regularly, developed cardiac tamponade due to septic pericarditis and died because of generalized septicemia.