Key result
Urgent surgical drainage and targeted antibiotics resolve life-threatening Salmonella pericarditis in an immunocompromised patient.
Why the study?
Salmonellosis rarely causes extraintestinal infections like pericarditis, but invasive infections caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella are becoming more prevalent in immunocompromised individuals.
Case Report (n=1)
This case highlights that non-typhoidal Salmonella can be a rare but life-threatening cause of purulent pericarditis in immunocompromised patients, requiring prompt surgical drainage and targeted antibiotic therapy.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant high suspicion for Salmonella pericarditis in immunocompromised patients; leaves open optimal management strategies.
While salmonellosis is commonly thought to predominantly impact the gastrointestinal system, bacteremia and localized extraintestinal infections such as meningitis, empyema, and pericarditis can develop, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we present a case of a 69-year-old with multiple comorbidities, who presented to the emergency department with dyspnea and hemodynamics instability in the form of hypoxia and hypotension and was found to have moderate pericardial effusion without echocardiographic signs of tamponade. The ischemic workup was unrevealing, and further infectious workups, including pericardial tissue biopsy and pericardial fluid culture, showed growth in Salmonella groups C and D. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with Salmonella-induced pericarditis and pericardial effusion and discharged home on oral antibiotics following pericardiocentesis and hemodynamics stabilization. Invasive infections caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella are becoming more prevalent in immunocompromised individuals. Acute bacterial myopericarditis is uncommon in advanced nations, yet it can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Therefore, a high index of suspicion, early detection, and aggressive invasive and non-invasive therapies would strongly be considered to achieve a desirable outcome and good prognosis.
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Aloreibi et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Salmonella-induced pericarditis and pericardial effusion (n=1). Pericardiocentesis, coronary artery bypass grafting, and targeted antibiotics was evaluated on Clinical recovery and resolution of symptoms. A 69-year-old immunocompromised male with Salmonella-induced pericarditis and pericardial effusion was successfully treated with urgent open-heart surgery, pericardiocentesis, and targeted antibiotic therapy.
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