The needle and the damage done: pericardial effusion with tamponade after needle ingestion in an infant

Paediatric foreign bodies may present with vague and nonspecific symptoms. It is important to have a high index of suspicion when managing such cases.

We report the case of a nine-month-old infant who presented with a wheeze, cough and fever following ingestion of a needle.

This patient developed pericardial tamponade as a consequence of the needle ingestion, and required a thoracotomy for retrieval. We discuss the pathophysiology involved and the surgery required.

Pericardial tamponade is a rare but potentially fatal manifestation of an ingested foreign body.