Severe acute alcoholic pancreatitis complicated by distributive shock, abdominal compartment syndrome, and black pleural effusion
1 Department of Critical Care Medicine, HCA Healthcare; MountainView Hospital, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
2 Department of Internal Medicine, HCA Healthcare; MountainView Hospital, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Case Study
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 22(02), 937–941
Publication history:
Received on 03 April 2024; revised on 11 May 2024; accepted on 13 May 2024
Abstract:
Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a life-threatening medical emergency that can lead to multi-system organ failure and mortality. Here, we highlight a case of SAP complicated by a black pleural effusion (BPE), distributive shock, and acute abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) requiring emergent decompressive laparotomy. BPE fluid analysis was consistent with previously reported exudative effusions from a pancreatic pseudocyst, though the computed tomography (CT) of abdomen and pelvis did not show definitive evidence of a pseudocyst. In addition, black fluid was also discovered during decompressive laparotomy for ACS. It is possible that the severely elevated intra-abdominal pressure contributed to a temporary translocation/transudation of this fluid from the abdominal cavity into the pleural space, as no re-accumulation of the BPE was observed on a follow-up CT after thoracostomy tube removal.
Keywords:
Severe Acute Pancreatitis; Distributive Shock; Abdominal Compartment Syndrome; Black Pleural Effusion; Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Pleural Fluid Analysis
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Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0