Pneumococcal pericarditis presenting as an out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest

Serious complications of pneumococcal pneumonia have become uncommon with effective antibiotic treatment. Purulent pericarditis is a rare though well described complication of untreated pneumococcal sepsis. A case of untreated pneumococcal pneumonia complicated by purulent pericarditis is described. This presented as an out of hospital asystolic cardiopulmonary arrest.