A Case of Pericardial Effusion after Acute Myocardial Infarction

Pericardial effusion and subsequent cardiac tamponade are recognized as infrequent complications of a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) causing hemodynamic instability. The cause of pericarditis is mostly idiopathic which makes up around 90% of cases. Other causes are infections caused by viruses, bacteria or tuberculosis. Other causes could include neoplasms, a connective tissue disorder, renal failure, post-myocardial infarction (also known as Dressler syndrome), open heart surgery (also known as the postpericardiotomy syndrome) and drugs. Acute myocardial infarction is a significant cause of the pilot incapacitation. Pericardial effusion after treatment for acute myocardial infarction is a factor that worsens the prognosis. I present the case of a pilot with a STEMI which was treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to proximal left circumflex artery. After PCI, the pilot went on to develop pericardial effusion with tamponade.