UMBILICAL VENOUS LINE RELATED PERICARDIAL, EFFUSION IN A PREMATURE NEONATE - REPORT OF A CASE

Cardiac tamponade occurs very rarely, but is life-threatening in the n ewborn. This paper reports a premature newborn who developed profound shock 25 hours after undergoing umbilical venous catheterization. Echo cardiography taken later, showed marked pericardial effusion. An umbil ical venous catheter:was located in the left atrium. Immediate pericar diocentesis was performed, 11 mL of a clear straw-colored fluid was re moved and the umbilical venous catheter was withdrawn inco the inferio r vena cava. The heart rate and blood pressure recovered immediately. Analysis of the pericardial fluid showed a high glucose level of 2,451 mg/dL. There nas no pericardial effusion reaccumulation thereafter. R apid diagnosis and treatment of pericardial effusion are mandatory to prevent subsequent morbidity and mortality when disastrous episodes, s uch as in the present case, occur.