Acute purulent pericarditis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in an intravenous drug abuser

Infections are among the most serious complications experienced by intravenous drug abusers. However, there have been rare reports of the cases with acute pericarditis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. CASE REPORT: In this study we reported a case of purulent pericarditis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in an intravenous drug abuser. The patient was completely treated by adequate surgical drainage and effective intravenous antibiotic therapy. Infections are among the major complications of drug use. Purulent pericarditis usually occurs as a complication of another illness, like surgical wound infection, mediastinal abscess, lung abscess, or severe sepsis. Aggressive surgical and medical treatments would thus be lifesaving.