Infections of the heart complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Purulent pericarditis is a serious but uncommon disorder which rarely complicates acute myocardial infarction. We have described a patient who had fatal purulent pericarditis subsequent to Swan-Ganz catheterization, which was done to facilitate the management of left ventricular failure complicating acute myocardial infarction. Although rare, purulent pericarditis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of otherwise unexplained sepsis associated with myocardial infarction. The presence of a pericardial effusion may rapidly be confirmed by echocardiography, and diagnostic pericardiocentesis undertaken.