Delayed diagnosis of cardiac tamponade following isolated blunt abdominal trauma

Traumatic haemopericardium is an uncommon but life threatening condition. I t is usually caused by penetrating cardiac injuries or cardiac rupture from blunt chest trauma. We report haemopericardium and cardiac tamponade in a young girl after blunt abdominal trauma. She presented with mild upper abdo minal pain, tachycardia and hypotension having been kicked in the abdomen b y a horse. No damage was found at laparotomy and she remained haemodynamica lly unstable. Further investigation found cardiac tamponade and haemoperica rdium. This was managed by insertion of a pericardial drain using transthor acic echocardiogram guidance, with later drainage in the operating theatre using guidance with a transoesophageal echocardiogram.