Pneumopericardium with favorable outcome in a ventilated preterm infant.

Pneumopericardium is a rare and severe complication of artificial ventilati on ill neonates. Case report. - A preterm neonate born after 29 weeks of gestation,vas place d under ventilatory support for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Ar 63 days of l ife, just after a severe bronchospasm which required bag ventilation with h igh pressures, she collapsed and required immediate cardiopulmonary resusci tation with epinephrine infusion. The diagnosis of pneumopericardium was de duced from the chest X-ray obtained in emergency, oil which there was also a right pneumothorax. Cardiac recovery with return of spontaneous circulati on was only obtained after evacuation of the pneumopericardium with a 23-ga uge needle via the sub-xiphoid route. The pneumothorax was drained and the long-term evolution was favorable. Conclusion. - In the case of cardiopulmonary compromise, the early diagnosi s of pneumopericardium should lead to the immediate evacuation of the pneum opericardium in order to improve the prognosis. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.