Case of Cardiac Tamponade Combined with Empyema Caused by Haemophilus influenza Type b Infection

Abstract

Haemophilus influenza type b(Hib) is the second most common cause of purulent pericarditis in children, and Hib frequently causes various invasive infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, and so on. In Korea, there has been no exact epidemiological data of Hib infection due to difficulties of culture process. The invasive infection by Hib is more prevalent in younger children, because it is known that the formation of protecting antibody to bacterial cell wall glycoproteins is defective in children under 2 years of age. We report herein a case of Hib empyema combined with rapidly progressed cardiac tamponade which was managed by emergent pericardiectomy.