Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy for early recognition of impending cardiac tamponade in a preterm neonate

Marlou Raets, Marc Dirix, Matthias Christian Hütten*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Cardiac tamponade is a rare but life-threatening complication of umbilical venous catheter (UVC) placement in neonates. Mortality rates are high; therefore, early diagnosis is important. We present a case of a preterm infant with a UVC in situ who underwent a laparotomy on the first day of life for pneumoperitoneum secondary to meconium ileus. The operation was uneventful; however, 2 hours after surgery, the patient developed cardiac tamponade, requiring resuscitation and pericardiocentesis. In retrospect, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) showed a gradual decline in cerebral oxygenation (crSO2) in the 30 min prior to the cardiac arrest, while other vital signs were within normal ranges. Our case demonstrates that cerebral NIRS monitoring can serve as an additional clinical marker for early recognition of impending cardiac tamponade.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere256014
Number of pages3
JournalBMJ case Reports
Volume16
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 9 Dec 2023

Keywords

  • Neonatal and paediatric intensive care
  • Neonatal intensive care
  • Paediatric Surgery

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