The American journal of medicine
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Twenty-six patients with purulent pericarditis were seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 1960 and 1974. The diagnosis was made in 18 of them during life, but only 6 survived, with an over-all mortality rate of 77 per cent. In eight patients, purulent pericarditis developed in the early postoperative period after thoracic surgery. ⋯ The echocardiogram shows considerable promise in allowing earlier diagnosis of the pericardial effusion which accompanies purulent pericarditis. Optimal therapy consists of prolonged antibiotic therapy and aggressive drainage of the pericardium. In this series, there were 6 survivors among the 11 patients (55 per cent) who received appropriate therapy.