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i
Emergency Management of
Infectious Diseases
Second Edition
ii
iii
Emergency Management of
Infectious Diseases
Second Edition
Edited by
Rachel L. Chin
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
San Francisco, CA
Bradley W. Frazee
Department of Emergency Medicine
Alameda Health System – Highland Hospital
Oakland, CA
Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
San Francisco, CA
Associate Editor
Zlatan Coralic
Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
iv
Every effort has been made in preparing this book to provide accurate and up-to-date
information which is in accord with accepted standards and practice at the time of publication.
Although case histories are drawn from actual cases, every effort has been made to disguise
the identities of the individuals involved. Nevertheless, the authors, editors and publishers
can make no warranties that the information contained herein is totally free from error, not
least because clinical standards are constantly changing through research and regulation.
The authors, editors and publishers therefore disclaim all liability for direct or consequential
damages resulting from the use of material contained in this book. Readers are strongly
advised to pay careful attention to information provided by the manufacturer of any drugs or
equipment that they plan to use.
v
Contents
Preface page ix
Contributors xi
v
vi
Contents
vi
vii
Contents
vii
viii
ix
Preface
The diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease represents a likely to be the first to encounter victims of biological weap-
large and very important part of emergency medicine practice. ons. In this edition, we include chapters on recent emerging
Challenges faced by acute care practitioners on a daily basis infections such as Ebola and Zika, as well as rare but deadly
range from the definitive treatment and discharge of a patient infectious agents that can be weaponized, such as anthrax
with a simple abscess, to recognition of a rare infection in a and smallpox.
traveler, to resuscitation and stabilization of a patient with We hope that our textbook can be of use to every type of
septic shock. practitioner that cares for patients with infectious diseases,
In this second edition of Emergency Management of including emergency physicians, primary care physicians and
Infectious Diseases, we have endeavored to produce a prac- specialists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, residents,
tical, clinically oriented, systems-based overview of the most and medical students.
important infectious diseases encountered in emergency prac- We thank the many nationally and internationally
tice. Our textbook covers the gamut of common viral, bacterial, respected clinicians, educators, and researchers who con-
fungal, and parasitic infections. For each disease, we briefly dis- tributed, and hope that this second edition of Emergency
cuss microbiology, pathophysiology, and epidemiology, but the Management of Infectious Diseases will prove an invaluable
emphasis is on emergent diagnosis and treatment. The narra- reference for practitioners confronting the spectrum of infec-
tive is supplemented with photographs and tables highlighting tious disease.
key diagnostic findings and current antimicrobial recommen-
dations, including dosing. Bradley W. Frazee, MD
Acute care practitioners also act as sentinels for out- Rachel L. Chin, MD
breaks of communicable and emerging infections, and are Zlatan Coralic
ix
x
xi
Contributors
xi
xii
Contributors
xii
xiii
Contributors
xiii
xiv
Contributors
xiv
xv
Contributors
xv
xvi
Contributors
xvi
1
Chapter
Infective Endocarditis
Introduction and heart block. Large, mobile vegetations are associated with
embolization and metastatic infection (see below).
Infectious endocarditis (IE) is a difficult diagnosis to make The list of pathogens that have been reported to cause
in the emergency setting. Early diagnosis and management IE is enormous and includes fungi and protozoa. The most
requires an understanding of endocarditis risk factors, typical common etiolgies, however, are gram-positive cocci, including
and atypical clinical presentations, and current diagnostic and Staphylococcus species, both S. aureus and coagulase nega-
empiric treatment strategies. tive Staphylococcus, and Streptococcal species, particularly
viridans Streptococci and group D Streptococcus. S. aureus
Epidemiology and Microbiology is both the most common etiology and the pathogen most
In developed countries, the incidence of IE is roughly 5 cases often associated with metastatic complications. Enterococcus
per 100,000 persons per year. It more commonly affects males is common in the elderly. The clinical setting may suggest the
(2:1). Well-recognized risk factors for IE include presence of pathogen involved: S. aureus is the most common in injection
a prosthetic heart valve (which carry an annual incidence of drug users, viridans Streptococci in patients with recent dental
approximately 1%), congenital heart disease, endocardiac procedures, and gram-negative bacilli in patients that have
devices, injection drug use (see Chapter 61), and a prior history undergone invasive genitourinary procedures.
of endocarditis. Rheumatic heart disease is now an uncommon Pathogens that are less commonly implicated in IE include
predisposing risk factor in the United States. However, in the “HACEK” (Haemophilus aphrophilus, Haemophilus
modern series, there is no easily identifiable risk factor for paraphrophilus, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Actinobacillus
underlying valve damage in approximately 50% of endocarditis actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella
cases. Such cases are believed to be due to age-related degener- corrodens, and Kingella kingae) group of fastidious bacteria,
ative valve disease and subtle immunosuppresion from diabetic Bartonella, chlamydia, Legionella, and fungi. Infections with
endocarditis and other factors. Health-care associated cases, these organisms may be difficult to detect because they do not
often in the elderly, account for a growing proportion of endo- always grow in routine blood cultures.
carditis in the United States.
Infective endocarditis occurs when circulating pathogens
adhere to damaged endothelium and form a vegetation, usu- Clinical Features
ally on or around a cardiac valve. Abnormal turbulent flow and The presentation of IE (see Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1) ranges
damaged endothelium lead to fibrin and platelete deposition from the well-appearing patient with non-specific symptoms
which presents a nidus for bacterial infection during bacter- to the toxic patient in severe septic shock with multi-organ
emia. In the setting of frequent bacteremia, such as intravenous failure. Symptoms are often frustratingly non-specific, and
drug use and dental infection, IE may occur even without an may include low-grade fever, malaise, myalgias, headache, and
identifiable pathologic valvular lesion. Growth of the infected anorexia. Patients with mild symptoms are often misdiagnosed
vegetation eventually leads to valve destruction and impaired as having a viral syndrome. Approximately 80% of patients
function, typically regurgitation, and eventually heart failure. with IE will have a fever during their initial emergency depart-
Invasion of the myocardium can lead to paravalvular abscess ment stay. The presence of a new murmur may be helpful;
1
2
however, the high prevalence of a baseline murmur in older may present with septic pulmonary emboli, which cause respi-
adults makes this finding non-specific. ratory symptoms that may be mistaken for pneumonia or
Patients with a more indolent or subacute presentation may pulmonary embolism. Mechanical failure of the pulmonic or
display physical findings that result from the deposition of tricuspid valves can cause signs and symptoms of acute right-
immune complexes in end-vessels throughout the body. These sided heart failure.
findings include the classic stigmata of IE: Roth spots (exuda- Other serious sequelae of endocarditis include intravas-
tive lesions on the retina), Janeway lesions (painless erythema- cular hemolysis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
tous lesions on the palms and soles), and Osler nodes (painful Abscesses around the annulae of the cardiac valves may result
violet lesions on the fingers or toes), as well as hematuria (due in conduction blocks and bradydysrhythmias. Ventricular wall
to glomerulonephritis), subungual splinter hemorrhages, or rupture may lead to cardiac tamponade or hemorrhagic shock,
petechiae of the palate and conjunctiva. These subtle signs of and extension into the coronary arteries may cause acute cor-
IE should be sought on examination; however, they are actually onary syndrome.
quite uncommon and their absence does not rule out IE.
In left-sided endocarditis, arterial embolization may occur Differential Diagnosis
in any organ system. The central nervous system is the most
The differential diagnosis of IE includes both acute and chronic
common location. Infections that initially appear to be focal
infections, malignancies, and a wide spectrum of inflammatory
or localized, particularly when due to S. aureus, may actu-
and autoimmune disorders. However, IE should be suspected
ally be the result of septic emboli from IE. Examples include
in any febrile patient with the following risk factors:
stroke and spinal cord syndromes, mycotic aneurysms, osteo-
myelitis, epidural abscesses, septic arthropathies, necrotic skin • injection drug use
lesions, and cold, pulseless extremities. Mycotic aneurysms • rheumatic heart disease
may cause meningitis, headaches, or focal neurological deficits. • valvular insufficiency
Destruction of the mitral or aortic valve can cause acute respi- • indwelling catheter
ratory failure and cardiogenic shock. Right-sided endocarditis • pacemaker
2
3
B D
Figure 1.1 Classic physical examination findings in IE. Splinter hemorrhages (A); conjunctival petechiae (B); Osler nodes (C); and Janeway lesions (D).
Images from E. Mylonakis and S. B. Calderwood, Infective endocarditis in adults. N. Engl. J. Med., 2001; 345(18): 1318–30.
Copyright © 2008 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.
3
4
sufficient volume (10 mL), and be drawn at multiple sites. The Table 1.2 Empiric Treatment for Infective Endocarditis
sensitivity of three sets of blood cultures approaches 90% in
Patient Category Empiric Therapy Recommendation*
patients who have not received antibiotics. Serologies for
Adults Native valve:
Bartonella, Brucella, and Coxiella Burnetii (Q fever) may be
Vancomycin 15–20 mg/kg/dose IV every
indicated if standard cultures are negative. Other routine blood 8–12 hours
tests such as inflammatory markers (complete blood count and
[CBC], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive pro- Ceftriaxone 2 g IV every 24 hours
tein [CRP]) lack specificity. (alternate: ciprofloxacin 400 mg IV every
Endocarditis produces abnormal findings on standard diag- 12 hours)
nostic tests that can lead the clinician to an incorrect initial Prosthetic valve:
diagnosis. For example, an abnormal urinalysis may lead to a Vancomycin 15–20 mg/kg/dose IV every
8–12 hours
diagnosis of cystitis or glomerulonephritis, infiltrates on a chest
and
X-ray may be interpreted as pneumonia, or abnormalities on a Gentamicin 1 mg/kg IV every 8 hours
lumbar puncture may lead to a diagnosis of primary meningitis. and
Electrocardiography (ECG) is seldom helpful in Rifampin 300 mg PO/IV every 8 hours
establishing the diagnosis of IE. The most common ECG Children Vancomycin 15–20 mg/kg/dose IV every
abnormality in IE is sinus tachycardia. A valve ring abscess 6 hours
can produce heart block, particularly an elongating PR and
interval. Cardiac ischemia may result if IE extends into a cor- Gentamicin 1.5–2.5 mg/kg IV every 8 hours
onary artery lumen. Pregnant women Vancomycin 15–20 mg/kg/dose IV every
Like blood cultures, echocardiography is an essential test 8–12 hours
in establishing the definitive diagnosis of IE. However, its and
main utility in the emergency setting is in the detection of life- Ceftriaxone 2 g IV every 24 hours
threatening complications such as pericardial effusion, cardiac and
Rifampin 300 mg PO/IV every 8 hours (if
tamponade, and valvular rupture. Transthoracic echocardiog-
prosthetic heart valve)
raphy is useful if positive for a clear-cut vegetation; however,
Immunocompromised As above, depending on age and pregnancy
transesophageal echocardiography has higher sensitivity and is status
generally required in suspected IE if the transthoracic echocar-
diogram is negative. * Vancomycin and gentamicin dosing may need to be adjusted based
on renal function and ideal body weight. Trough monitoring with both
The Duke Criteria (see Table 1.1) are a widely accepted, agents is strongly recommended. Rifampin has many clinically important
structured diagnostic tool for assisting in the often challenging drug–drug interactions and may require other drug-level monitoring.
diagnosis of IE. However, these criteria have limited utility in IV – intravenous.
the emergency setting. Emergency providers must maintain
constant vigilance for IE, have a low threshold for obtaining
blood cultures and echocardiography in suspicious cases, and skin infections (with vancomycin 20mg/kg IV × 1) in very high
must exercise judgment in when to admit patients for empiric risk patients: those with a prior history of IE; prosthetic valve;
therapy. heart transplant with abnormal valve function; repaired con-
genital heart disease.
Treatment and Prophylaxis
Empiric therapy targeting common IE bacterial pathogens Complications and Admission Criteria
is indicated when the diagnosis is strongly suspected. The The treatment of septic and mechanical complications of
empiric regimen should be tailored to whether or not there is endocarditis can be challenging. In cases of suspected acute
a prosthetic valve, and, when possible, to the current hospital valvular dysfunction with pump failure, emergent echocardi-
antibiogram (see Table 1.2). The duration of therapy is typi- ography and consultation with a cardiothoracic surgeon and
cally 4 to 6 weeks. It may be appropriate to withhold antibiotics cardiologist are indicated. Anticoagulation with heparin is not
pending culture results in patients with chronic, intermittent recommended for septic emboli because it does not reduce fur-
fevers who otherwise appear well, provided that close follow- ther embolization and the risk of hemorrhagic transformation
up is available. is very high. Limb-threatening emboli (e.g. a cold, pulseless
Antibiotic prophylaxis was previously recommended to all extremity) may require revascularization with interventional
patients at risk from IE prior to certain invasive dental, gastro- or surgical techniques, such as the administration of local
intestinal, and genitourinary procedures; however, this prac- fibrinolytics.
tice has now become controversial, with conflicting guidelines Patients for whom the diagnosis of IE is suspected should
in the United States and Europe. While most procedures rou- generally be admitted for further work-up and empiric intra-
tinely performed in the emergency department do not require venous antibiotics. In selected cases, it may be appropriate to
prophylaxis, prophylaxis should be strongly considered for discharge febrile but otherwise well-appearing patients home
dental or skin abscess incision and drainage (see Table 1.3) or with blood cultures pending, provided that reliable, urgent
4
5
Table 1.3 Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Invasive Procedures in Highest Risk Habib, G., Hoen, B., Tornos, P., et al., Guidelines on the preven-
Patients tion, diagnosis, and treatment of infective endocarditis (new
version 2009): the Task Force on the Prevention, Diagnosis, and
Patient Category Recommended Antibiotic for Treatment of Infective Endocarditis of the European Society of
ED Dental Procedures Cardiology (ESC). Eur. Heart J. 2009; 30(19): 2369–2413.
Adults Amoxicillin 2 g PO × 1 Li, J. S., Sexton, D. J., Mick, N., et al., Proposed modifications to the
if PCN allergy Duke Criteria for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Clin.
Clindamycin 600 mg PO × 1 Infect. Dis. 2000; 30(4): 633–8.
Unable to take oral medications:
Mitchell, R. S., Kumar, V., Robbins, S. L., Abbas, A. K., and Fausto, N.
Ceftriaxone 1 g IV/IM × 1
Robbins Basic Pathology, 8th edn. (Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/
if PCN allergy
Elsevier, 2007), pp. 406–8.
Clindamycin 600 mg IV/IM × 1
Olaison L. and Pettersson G., Current best practices and guidelines
Children Amoxicillin 50 mg/kg PO × 1 (max. 2 g/dose)
indications for surgical intervention in infective endocarditis.
if PCN allergy
Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. 2002; 16(2): 453–75.
Clindamycin 20 mg/kg PO × 1 (max. 600 mg/
dose) Pawsat, D. E. and Lee, J. Y., Inflammatory disorders for the heart.
Unable to take oral medications: Pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis. Emerg. Med. Clin.
Ceftriaxone 50 mg/kg IV/IM × 1 (max. 1 g/dose) North Am. 1998; 16(3): 665–81.
if PCN allergy Samet, J. H., Shevitz, A., and Fowle J., Hospitalization decision in
Clindamycin 20 mg/kg IV/IM × 1 (max. 600 mg/ febrile intravenous drug users. Am. J. Med. 1990; 89(1): 53–7.
dose) Sandre, R. M. and Shafran, S. D., Infective endocarditis: review of 135
Pregnant women As above cases over 9 years. Clin. Infect. Dis. 1996; 22(2): 276–86.
Immunocompromised As above Sexton, D. J. and Spelman, D., Current best practices and guidelines.
Assessment and management of complications in infective endo-
IM – intramuscular; IV – intravenous; PCN – penicillin; PO – by mouth.
carditis. Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. 2002; 16(2): 507–21.
Thornhill, M. H., Dayer, M. J., Forde, J. M., et al., Impact of the NICE
follow-up is available. Patients with septic or mechanical guideline recommending cessation of antibiotic prophylaxis for
complications of IE should be managed in a closely monitored prevention of infective endocarditis: before and after study. BMJ
setting, preferably one in which cardiothoracic surgical inter- 2011; 342: d2392.
vention is readily available. Towns, M. L. and Reller, L. B., Diagnostic methods current best
practices and guidelines for isolation of bacteria and fungi in infec-
Pearls and Pitfalls tive endocarditis. Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. 2002; 16(2): 363–76.
1. Endocarditis is important to consider in any febrile patient Wilson, L. E., Thomas, D. L., Astemborski, J., et al., Prospective study
with a predisposing valve disease or other risk factors. of infective endocarditis among injection drug users. J. Infect.
Dis. 2002; 185(12): 1761–6.
2. Emergency providers can play an essential role in IE diag-
nosis by obtaining blood cultures prior to empiric antibiotics. Wilson, W., Taubert, K. A., Gewitz, M., et al., Prevention of infective
endocarditis: guidelines from the American Heart Association: a
3. Mechanical complications of IE may require emergent car- guideline from the American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever,
diovascular surgery. Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease Committee, Council on
4. Do not heparinize patients with septic emboli and Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, and the Council on Clinical
endocarditis. Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia,
and the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary
Working Group. Circulation 2007; 116(15): 1736–54.
References Young, G. P., Hedges, J. R., Dixon, L., et al., Inability to validate a pre-
Alexiou, C., Langley, S. M., Stafford, H., et al., Surgery for active dictive score for infective endocarditis in intravenous drug users.
culture-positive endocarditis: determinants of early and late out- J. Emerg. Med. 1993; 11(1): 1–7.
come. Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2000; 69(5): 1448–54.
Cabell, C. H., Jollis, J. G., Peterson, G. E., et al., Changing patient Additional Readings
characteristics and the effect on mortality in endocarditis. Arch.
Intern. Med. 2002; 162(1): 90–4. Baddour, L. M., Wilson, W. R., Bayer, A. S., et al., Infective endocarditi
in adults: diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, and management of
Calder, K. K. and Severyn, F.A., Surgical emergencies in the intravenous
complications. A scientific statement for healthcare professionals
drug user. Emerg. Med. Clin. North. Am. 2003; 21(4): 1089–116.
from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2015; 132(15):
Cresti, A., Chiavarelli, M., Scalese, M., et al., Epidemiology and mor- 1435–86.
tality trends in infective endocarditis, a 17-year population-based
Hoen, B. and Duval, X., Infective endocarditis. N. Engl. J. Med. 2013;
prospective study. Cardiovasc. Diagn. Ther. 2017; 7(1): 27–35.
368(15): 1425–33.
5
6
Chapter
Pericarditis and Myocarditis
Outline Myocarditis 11
Epidemiology and Microbiology 11
Introduction 6
Clinical Features 11
Pericarditis 6
Differential Diagnosis 11
Epidemiology and Microbiology 6 Laboratory and Radiographic Findings 12
Clinical Features 7 Treatment and Prophylaxis 12
Differential Diagnosis 7 Complications and Admission Criteria 12
Laboratory and Radiographic Findings 8 Pearls and Pitfalls 13
Treatment and Prophylaxis 9
References 13
Complications and Admission Criteria 10
Additional Readings 13
Introduction endocarditis, can also occur. There are also numerous non-
infectious causes of both pericarditis and myocarditis.
Cardiac infections are classified by the affected site: pericar-
dium, myocardium, or endocardium. Since pericarditis and
myocarditis often coexist, and the infectious etiologies are very
Epidemiology and Microbiology
similar, these will be discussed together here. Endocarditis is While the epidemiology of pericarditis is not well described, it
a fundamentally different type of infection that is covered in is clearly a common condition, estimated to account for 5% of
Chapter 1. Pericarditis is a common cause of chest pain that has non-ischemic chest pain cases seen in emergency departments
the potential to result in significant morbidity and mortality. (EDs). Pericarditis commonly affects young men, for reasons
Acute care providers should be well versed in the identifica- that are not well understood.
tion, risk stratification, and evidence-based management of this Acute pericarditis is often idiopathic, in that routine eval-
common condition. uation reveals no definite cause; the majority of such cases are
presumed to be viral. When a pathogen is identified, viruses
predominate, including coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, influ-
Pericarditis enza, EBV, VZV, mumps, and hepatitis. Human immunodefi-
The pericardium is composed of two layers of fibrous tissue, ciency virus (HIV) can cause pericarditis and myocarditis and
the visceral and parietal, which envelop and protect the remains a common cause of pericardial disease in developing
heart. The visceral layer is firmly attached to the epicardium, countries where HIV is prevalent.
whereas the parietal layer moves freely within the medias- Bacterial pericarditis, termed purulent pericarditis, is for-
tinum. Approximately 15 to 50 mL of fluid is normally present tunately rare. It can result from hematogenous seeding or
within the pericardial sac. direct spread, usually from pneumonia. Myriad bacteria have
Pericarditis is defined as inflammation of the pericar- been reported to cause pericarditis, with the most common
dium. It frequently causes a small pathologic pericardial pathogens being Staphyloccus aureus and Streptococcus
effusion and may be associated with adjacent myocardial pneumoniae. Pneumococcal pneumonia and empyema and
inflammation or infection, termed myopericarditis. Large S. aureus endocarditis (via endomyocardial abscess) are the
pericardial fluid accumulations may occur in pericarditis, infections that classically spread directly to the pericardium.
which can result in cardiac tamponade, if they develop Mediastinitis, penetrating trauma, and thoracic surgery can
rapidly. also lead to purulent pericarditis. S. aureus is the predominant
The majority of infectious pericarditis and myocarditis are pathogen in hematogenous cases.
due to direct viral infection or less commonly bacterial seeding Mycobacterium tuberculosis is considered to be the most
of the pericardium. Contiguous spread to the pericardium uncommon etiology of infectious endocarditis in devel-
from pleural, pulmonary, or mediastinal infections, or from oping countries. Fungi are a relatively uncommon cause of
6
7
Adapted from A. M. Ross and S. E. Grauer, Acute pericarditis. Evaluation and treatment of infectious and other
causes. Postgrad Med. 2004 March; 115(3): 67–75.
RMSF – Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
pericarditis. Histoplasomosi pericarditis is seen in endemic limited hemodynamics signs. Those with rapidly accumulating
regions of the United States and Candida species are a common effusions may present with tamponade and shock. This clas-
etiology in nosocomial cases. sically occurs from malignancy, in patients on anticoagulants
The list of non-infectious causes of acute pericarditis is and in purulent pericarditis. Associated myocarditis can lead
very long (see Table 2.1). These include uremia, trauma, malig- to rapid heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and arrythmias.
nancy (lymphoma, cancers of the breast, lung, and kidney), Patients with purulent pericarditis usually appear toxic with
radiation, chemotherapy, drug reactions (penicillin, minox- an acute febrile illness and may have evidence of pneumonia,
idil), post-cardiotomy or thoracic surgery, and autoimmune empyema, endocarditis, or mediastinal infection. Tuberculous
disorders (systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], rheumatoid pericarditis generally presents as an indolent illness with non-
arthritis [RA], Dressler’s syndrome after myocardial infarction specific symptoms such as fever, night sweats, weight loss, and
postpericardiotomy syndrome). fatigue.
The classic physical finding in acute pericarditis is a peri-
Clinical Features cardial friction rub, which is typically a three-phase “scratchy”
The clinical presentation of infectious pericarditis varies heart sound that comes and goes, best heard while the patient
depending on the pathogen and the the host immune response leans forward. Signs of pericardial tamponade are discussed
(see Table 2.2). Most patients with acute viral (or ideopathic) under “Complications and Admission Criteria.”
pericarditis have mild symptoms, which include low-grade
fever, malaise, and substernal chest pain. There may be a his- Differential Diagnosis
tory of a preceeding viral respiratory or gastrointestinal illness. The differential diagnosis of a patient complaining of chest
The pain is typically described as sharp or stabbing, but may pain or dyspnea in an emergent or urgent setting includes the
be squeezing. It usually has a pleuritic quality – worsened by following:
inspiration and cough. The pain is commonly postural: lying
• aortic dissection
supine exacerbates the pain, whereas sitting upright or leaning
• pulmonary embolism
slightly forward relieves it. The phrenic nerve traverses the
pericardium, so the pain of pericarditis is often described as • pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax
radiating to the trapezial ridges. Patients with pericarditis may • acute coronary syndrome
also complain of cough, odynophagia, or dysphagia, presum- • esophageal perforation
ably secondary to the spread of the inflammatory process to • myopericarditis
adjacent structures. • mediastinitis
Patients with slowly accumulating effusions, such as in • pneumonia
uremic or autoimmune pericarditis, may have no chest pain and • pleurisy
7
8
Pericarditis Myocarditis
Signs and symptoms: • Fever, malaise, night sweats • Fever, malaise, night sweats
adults • Chest pain (typically sharp, pleuritic) • Chest pain uncommon unless associated pericarditis
• Pericardial friction rub • Dyspnea, orthopnea
• Tamponade: tachycardia, Beck’s triad, pulsus • Left and right-sided heart failure signs: lung crackles,
paradoxus hypoxemia, hypotension, JVD, HSM, peripheral edema
• Dysrhythmia or conduction disturbance
Signs and symptoms: • As above • As above
infants • Non-specific – lethargy, poor feeding, cyanosis • Non-specific – lethargy, poor feeding, cyanosis
Laboratory and ECG findings • Elevated WBC, CRP, ESR • Elevated WBC, CRP, ESR, and cardiac biomarkers
• ECG findings include: • ECG findings non-specific:
• Sinus tachycardia and non-specific ST-T changes • Sinus tachycardia and non-specific ST-T changes
• Diffuse ST-segment elevation • ST-segment elevation or depression
• PR depression • Decreased QRS amplitude and Q waves
• T wave inversion without Q wave formation • Atrial or ventricular ectopy
• Ultrasound – pericardial effusion, possible signs of • Bundle branch blocks
tamponade • Ultrasound – decreased left ventricular function
CRP – C-reactive protein; DOE – dyspnea on exertion; ECG – electrocardiography; ESR – erythrocyte sedimentation rate; JVD – jugular venous distention;
HSM – hepatosplenomegaly; TB – tuberculosis; WBC – white blood (cell) count.
8
9
Figure 2.1 Chest X-ray findings in pericarditis and myocarditis. (A) Cardiomegaly from pericardial effusion. (B) Acute pulmonary edema in myocarditis.
Reprinted with permission from W. J. Brady, J. D. Ferguson, E. A. Ullman, and A. D. Perron, Myocarditis: emergency department recognition and management.
Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 2004; 22(4): 865–85.
I aVR V1 V4
II aVL V2 V5
III aVF V3 V6
V1
II
V5
Figure 2.2 Electrocardiography in acute pericarditis. Stage 1, showing diffuse ST segment elevation.
Reprinted with permission from A. M. Ross and S. E. Grauer, Acute pericarditis. Evaluation and treatment of infectious and
other causes. Porstgrad. Med. 2004; 115(3): 67–75.
9
10
Complications and Admission Criteria purulent or tuberculous pericarditis are at risk from progres-
sion of the infection itself. Signs of myocarditis should always
Important complications of pericarditis include myocarditis, be sought.
tamponade, and recurrence (see Table 2.4). Patients with Evaluation of a patient with suspected pericarditis should
routinely include assessment for signs of hemodynamic com-
Table 2.3 Initial Treatment for Pericarditis promise and pericardial tamponade. These signs include pulsus
paradoxus, tachycardia, and Beck’s triad of hypotension, JVD,
Patient Category Therapy Recommendation and muffled heart sounds. Electrical alternans, characterized by
Adults Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories alternating voltage of the P wave, QRS segment, and T wave, is
(avoid if isolated myocarditis): pathognomonic of a large, hemodynamically significant peri-
Aspirin 650–1000 mg PO TID
cardial effusion. Echocardiography is the gold standard test
or
for diagnosis. Diagnostic findings include pericardial effusion,
Ibuprofen 600–800 mg PO TID
or
inferior vena cava dilation, diastolic collapse of the right atrial
Indomethacin 50 mg PO TID or ventricular, and leftward bowing of the septum with inspi-
plus ration (see Figure 2.3). Cardiac tamponade requires aggressive
Colchicine 0.6 mg PO BID fluid resuscitation followed by emergent pericardiocentesis if a
Children Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories patient does not immediately improve with IV fluids.
(avoid if isolated myocarditis): Recurrence occurs in up to 38% of patients with idiopathic
Ibuprofen 5–10 mg/kg PO QID pericarditis who are not treated with colchicine and 17% of
or those who are. Recurrecnt of pericarditis is thought to be auto-
Naproxen 5–10 mg/kg PO BID immune and can prove difficult to manage.
plus In the setting of a normal echocardiogram, patients
Colchicine 0.3–0.6 mg PO daily
with acute pericarditis who are well appearing may be safely
Pregnant women Acetaminophen 500 mg PO every 6 hours discharged. Small or moderate effusions can be followed
Immunocompromised As above, depending on age and pregnancy with serial echocardiograms; large effusions may require
status pericardiocentesis or placement of a pericardial window.
PO – by mouth.
A B
Figure 2.3 Echocardiographic evidence of cardiac tamponade. Echocardiographic images of large pericardial effusion with features of tamponade. (A) Apical
four-chamber view of LV, LA, and RV that shows large PE with diastolic right-atrial collapse (arrow). (B) M-mode image with cursor placed through RV, IVS, and LV in
parasternal long axis. The view shows circumferential PE with diastolic collapse of RV free wall (arrow) during expiration. (C) M-mode image from subcostal window
in same patient that shows IVC plethora without inspiratory collapse. Reprinted with permission from Elsevier (The Lancet, 2004, vol. 363, pp. 717–27).
Photo and text from R. W. Troughton, C. R. Asher, and A. L. Klein, Pericarditis. Lancet 2004; 363(9410): 717–27.
IVC – inferior vena cava; IVS – interventricular septum; LA – left atrium; LV – left ventricle; PE – pericardial effusion; RV – right ventricle.
10
11
Guidelines recommend hospitalization for pericarditis patients (Lyme disease) have all been associated with myocar-
with any of the following high risk features: ditis. Lyme myocarditis should be suspected in patients
• temperature >38 °C from endemic areas presenting with atrioventricular block.
• subacute onset Similarly, in patients from rural South and Central America
• pericardial effusion >20 mm presenting with heart block or regional wall motion abnormal-
ities or ventricular aneurisms, Chagas cardiomyopathy, caused
• cardiac tamponade
by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, should be suspected.
• lack of response to anti-inflammatory treatment after 1 week
Immunocompromised patients may develop myocarditis sec-
• evidence of myopericarditis ondary to toxoplasmosis.
• immunosuppression There are a variety of non-infectious causes of myocarditis,
• trauma including autoimmune disorders, medications, and environ-
• oral anticoagulant therapy mental toxins. Autoimmune causes include systemic lupus ery-
thematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), sarcoidosis, and
Myocarditis various vasculitides (Kawasaki disease and giant cell arteritis).
Myocarditis, inflammation of the myocardium, can occur on A variety of drugs and chemotherapeutics can directly induce
its own or be associated with concurrent pericarditis. Though myocardial inflammation, including cocaine, amphetamines,
most cases are infectious, there are many non-infectious forms lithium, phenothiazines, zidovudine (AZT), chloroquine,
of myocarditis too. Generally speaking, idiopathic, viral, and and doxorubicin. Hypersensitivity reactions to penicillin and
lymphocytic myocarditis are synonymous. Manifestations sulfonamides may trigger inflammatory changes in the myo-
range from mild dyspnea and chest pain in the setting cardium, resulting in myocarditis. Environmental toxins such
of a viral illness to sudden, progressive heart failure and as carbon monoxide, lead, and arsenic, as well as stings from
cardiogenic shock. spiders, scorpions, and wasps, can also result in myocardial
inflammation.
11
12
12
13
Table 2.4 Complications of Pericarditis and Myocarditis and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS).
Recommended Treatment Eur. Heart J. 2015; 36: 2921–64.
Complication Recommended Therapy Barbaro, G., Fisher, S. D., Gaincaspro, G., and Lipshultz, S. E. HIV-
associated cardiovascular complications: a new challenge for
Congestive heart failure Nitroglycerin 5–300 mcg/min IV drip titrated
emergency physicians. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 2001; 19(7): 566–74.
to effect, and
Captopril 25 mg SL/PO × 1, and Caforio, A. L. P., Pankuweit, S., Arbustini, E., et al. Curent state of
Furosemide 0.5–1 mg/kg IV × 1, and knowledge on aetiology, diagnosis, management, and therapy
BiPAP of myocarditis: a position statement of the European Society
Note: Beta-blockers are contraindicated.
of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial
Diseases. Eur. Heart J. 2013; 34: 2636–48.
Cardiac tamponade Aggressive fluid resuscitation
Pericardiocentesis
Carapetis, J. R., McDonald, M., and Wilson, N. J. Acute rheumatic
fever. Lancet 2005; 366(9480): 155–68.
Heart block and As per ACLS or APLS protocols
tachydysrhythmias Cilliers, A. M., Manyemba, J., and Saloojee, H. Anti-inflammatory
treatment for carditis in acute rheumatic fever. Cochrane
Cardiogenic dhock Dobutamine 1–20 mcg/kg/min IV drip
Database Syst. Rev. 2003; (2): CD003176.
titrated to effect (may need additional pressor
support) Imazio, M., Spodick, D. H., Brucato, A., and Trinchero, R.
Intra-aortic balloon pump Controversial issues in the management of pericardial diseases.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation Circulation 2010; 121(7): 916–28.
Cardiac transplantation Imazio, M. and Trinchero, R. Myopericarditis: etiology, management
and prognosis. Int. J. Cardiol. 2008; 127(1): 17–26.
APLS – advanced pulmonary life support; BiPAP – bilevel positive airway
pressure; IV – intravenous; PO – by mouth. Klein, A. L., Abbara, S., Agler, D. A., et al. American Society of
Echocardiography clinical recommendations for multimodality
cardiovascular imaging of patients with pericardial disease. J.
with infectious cardiomyopathy will go on to develop chronic Am. Soc. Echocardiogr. 2013; 26(9): 965–1012.
dilated cardiomyopathy and/require transplantation. Meune, C., Spaulding, C., Lebon, P., and Bergman, J. F. Risks
versus benefits of NSAIDs including aspirin in myocarditis: a
Pearls and Pitfalls review of the evidence from animal studies. Drug Saf. 2003;
26(13): 975–81.
1. Most cases of myocarditis and pericarditis are viral and Pawsat, D. E. and Lee, J. Y. Inflammatory disorders for the heart.
have a benign course; consider alternative causes in toxic Pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis. Emerg. Med. Clin.
appearing patients. North Am. 1998; 16(3): 665–81.
2. Serious complications of myocarditis include con- Ross, A. M. and Grauer, S. E. Acute pericarditis. Evaluation and
gestive heart failure, conduction disturbances, and treatment of infectious and other causes. Postgrad. Med. 2004;
tachydysrhythmias. 115(3): 67–75.
3. Echocardiography is recommended for all patients with newly Stollerman, G. H. Rheumatic fever in the 21st century. Clin. Infect.
diagnosed pericarditis or myocarditis prior to discharge. Dis. 2001; 33(6): 806–14.
4. Hospital admission is indicated for all cases of myocarditis, Trautner, B. W. and Darouiche, R. O. Tuberculous pericar-
as well as pericarditis when associated with fever, trauma, ditis: optimal diagnosis and management. Clin. Infect. Dis. 2001;
oral anticoagulants, immunosuppression, or pericardial 33(7): 954–61.
effusion >20 mm.
Additional Readings
References Brady, W. J., Ferguson, J. D., Ullman, E. A., and Perron, A. D.
Myocarditis: emergency department recognition and manage-
Acker, M. A. Mechanical circulatory support for patients with ment. Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 2004; 22(4): 865–85.
acute-fulminant myocarditis. Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2001; 71(3
Suppl.): S73–6. Chan, T. C., Brady, W. J., and Pollack, M. Electrocardiographic
manifestations: acute myopericarditis. J. Emerg. Med. 1999;
Adler, Y., Charron, P. Imazio, M., et al., 2015 ESC Guidelines for the
17(5); 865–72.
diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases: The Task
Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases Cooper, L. T. Myocarditis. N. Eng. J. Med. 2009; 360: 1526–38.
of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Endorsed by: The LeWinter, M. M. Acute pericarditis. N. Eng. J. Med. 2014; 371: 2410–16.
13
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Afterwards, Robyn blushed to remember that the vow had been
made only in fear; but he comforted himself by thinking that “the
more deliberate consecration of himself to piety had been made
when the earth and sky had regained their equanimity, and with no
less motive than that of its own excellence.” The hour of terror had
been also the hour of realisation. This trembling child, already a
student of Nature, had begun amidst the winds and lightnings to
realise dimly the existence of Elemental Mysteries which made the
whole world tremble too. And yet, did not even these atmospheric
exacerbations flash and thunder out the command to praise Him and
magnify Him for ever? Were not the deepest, most terrible of
Elemental Mysteries but part of a Universal Benedicite?
CHAPTER VII
THE DEBACLE
“But (as when in summer we take up our grass-horses into the stable, and give
them store of oats, it is a sign that we mean to travel them) our Philaretus, soon
after he had received this new strength, found a new weight to support.”—Robert
Boyle’s Philaretus.
And the bride was a beautiful creature: the blush on her cheek
was like a Catharine pear—“the side that’s next the sun”; while her
red underlip looked as if “some bee had stung it newly.”
This was the bride for whom Broghill had forgotten Mrs. Harrison
and the duel in which nobody was hurt. This was the beautiful “Lady
Pegg,” who was to prove herself a woman “beautiful in her person,
very moderate in her expences, and plain in her garb; serious and
decent in her behaviour, careful in her family, and tender of her
lord”[99]—nay, more, in Broghill’s after-life it is easy to see that he
had not only a brave helpmeet, but a clever one. Robert Boyle
himself has called her the “great support, ornament, and comfort of
her Family.”[100]
The old Earl was in his place when, after many long debates and
“sevral heerings”, Strafford was sentenced to death—only eleven
voices of all the Lords declaring “not content”; and on May 12
Strafford—to whom the King had pledged his word that not a hair of
his head should be touched—was beheaded on Tower Hill. “As he
well deserved” is the brief comment in the Earl of Cork’s diary.
And what had the Earl’s young daughter, the “unrewly Mary,” been
doing? She and Frank’s wife, Betty, having spent the summer at
Stalbridge with the Earl and his customary house-party, were now
back in town, staying with Lady Dungarvan in her house in Long
Acre. Betty had taken the measles, and Mary had promptly followed
suit; and they had both been packed off to another house in Holborn.
Charles Rich had shown such anxiety about Mary that the family’s
suspicions were at last aroused; and Betty’s mamma, very much
afraid of the Earl of Cork, had threatened to tell everything, “and in a
great heat and passion did that very night do it.”[101] Betty in the
meantime contrived to give the lovers one more chance. Charles
Rich went down on his knees before the convalescent Mary, and
remained in that attitude for two hours, while Betty kept guard at the
door; and “so handsome did he express his passion” that Mary at
last said “yes.” The very next day Broghill—himself a married man—
carried his little sister off in disgrace to a very small house near
Hampton Court which belonged to Betty’s sister, Mrs. Katharine
Killigrew; and there for weeks Mary lived in exile, Charles Rich riding
down daily to see her. His father, the Earl of Warwick, and Lord
Goring interceded with the old autocrat, and at last their combined
influence carried the day The Earl saw, “and was civil to,” Mr.
Charles Rich, and Mary’s portion was to be £7000. It was now Mary
who went down on her knees before her father, begging for his
pardon. The old man upbraided her, shed some tears, and told her to
marry Charles Rich as soon as she liked.
It might be supposed that this was enough, but no;—Mary Boyle at
sixteen had been “always a great enemy to a public marriage.” She
much preferred running away. Charles Rich was quite willing, and
the young people were privately married on July 21, 1641, in the little
parish church of Shepperton, near Hampton Court. And a few days
later, Mary’s elder sister, the Lady Katharine Jones, too kind and too
wise to be angry with so rare a thing as a love-match, especially
when the wedding was over, accompanied the young couple in her
carriage to the Earl of Warwick’s house of Leeze in Essex, and
handed them over to the care of that patriarchal family.[102]
Some of the Cork family,—the Barrymores, and Kynalmeaky,
without his wife,—seem to have been already in Ireland in the
autumn of 1641; and the Earl of Cork was making his own
preparations to return to Lismore. He had been buying six black
horses and harnesses for his new light travelling coach, a sedan
chair lined with carnation velvet, and a “horslytter,” with two black
stone coach-horses. August is a hot month for “feasting” in any case,
and the summer of 1641 had been particularly hot, and the plague
and smallpox were rife in London; but in August the old Earl had
entertained at his Cousin Croone’s at the Nag’s Head Tavern in
Cheapside all the Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of the Committees
of both Houses of Parliament for Ireland; and a few days later,
Cousin Croone, at the Nag’s Head, had “feasted” his great kinsman
the Earl of Cork.
During those last months also the Earl had been busy settling his
affairs: there was the purchase of Marston Bigot in Somersetshire for
Broghill and his wife, and the purchase of the smaller Devonshire
estate of Annarye, and the settling of Stalbridge on Robert, his
Benjamin. There was the paying of debts and bonds and jointure
moneys, and the packing, locking, sealing and lettering of “yron
chestes” and “lyttle trunckes” and “lyttle boxes,” to be left behind in
the care of various trusted friends. Among them were boxes of
deeds and writings for Frank, to be left with Betty’s stepfather, Sir
Thomas Stafford; and at least two other boxes, “fast sealed”, for
Robert, one of them to be left with the Earl’s friend, Lord Edward
Howard of Escrick, and the other, containing duplicates, with the
Earl’s own cousin, Peter Naylor, the lawyer, of New Inn. Stalbridge
was to belong to Robert after the Earl’s death, besides the Irish
lands already settled on him, and a house specially built for him at
Fermoy. And the old man had set his match-making old heart on a
splendid marriage for Robyn—with the Lady Ann Howard, the very
young daughter of Lord Edward Howard of Escrick, first cousin of
“Lady Pegg.” One of the Earl’s last rides in England was with his son
Dungarvan to Hatfield to take leave of the Salisbury family; and there
also he saw “my Robyn’s yonge Mrs.,” to whom on this occasion the
Earl presented “a small gold ring with a diamond.”
The last visit of all was to Leeze in Essex—carried there in
Charles Rich’s own coach—to bid good-bye to the beloved “unrewly
Mary”. The last of the Earl’s many gifts in England appears to have
been to an “infirme cozyn” of his own—a welcome gift from one old
man to another—“a pott of Sir Walter Raleigh’s tobackoe.”[103]
There were a good many leavetakings with English friends and
kinsfolk between London and Stalbridge, and an almost royal
progress from Stalbridge by Marston Bigot—where he held a
“Court”—to the coast. Lady Kynalmeaky had been persuaded to
accompany her father-in-law to Ireland, and Broghill and his wife
crossed with them. The Dungarvans were, apparently, to follow
shortly after. Youghal was reached on October 17, and a day or two
later the Earl and his family were at the House of Lismore again.
The old biographers give a picturesque account of a great banquet
at Castle Lyons in honour of the Earl’s home-coming. They tell how,
while Lord Barrymore was feasting his guests, the old Earl was
called out of the banqueting hall to see a messenger, who, in a few
breathless, horror-stricken words, brought him tidings of the bloody
outbreak of rebellion in Munster. A week or two later Lord Barrymore
—the only one of the old Irish nobility to remain absolutely loyal to
the Protestant cause—was buying ordnance for the defence of
Castle Lyons. Lismore was being strengthened and stored with
ordnance, carbynes, muskets, Gascoigne wines and aqua vitæ.
Gunpowder and match were being bought in large quantities, money
was being paid out on every hand—the Earl was “maintaining”
everything and everybody—and money was getting ominously
scarce. In December, Lady Kynalmeaky left Ireland for the Hague,
and Kynalmeaky took over the charge of Bandonbridge, with a troop
of horse and 500 foot, “all English Protestants.” In January 1642,
Broghill was defending Lismore with a troop of horse and 200 “good
shot.” He was a dependable son: “My lord,” he wrote to his father,
“fear nothing for Lismore, for if it be lost it shall be with the life of him
that begs your lordship’s blessing, and stiles him, my lord, your
lordship’s most humble, most obliged, and most dutiful son and
servant, Broghill.” The old Earl himself had undertaken to hold
Youghal, to keep the command of that harbour, and to “preserve that
towne”; and he was never to leave it. The sheet-lead on the “tarras”
of the old college was to be torn up to make “case-shott” for his
ordnance. Pikes, muskets, halberds and “brownbills”—everything in
the shape of a weapon—were collected from Devonshire and
Dorsetshire and everywhere else, and the “Mortall Sowe” was to play
a great part in the defence of Bandonbridge and Lismore.
Dungarvan, at the head of 1200 foot, was with the Lord President.
[104] The Protestant ladies had left, or were leaving, for England or
the Hague; but Dungarvan’s wife and Broghill’s wife stayed as long
as possible on the spot.[105]
It was from Lismore—just before the Earl was sent to defend
Youghal—that he negotiated the bills of exchange to be sent through
Perkins, the London tailor, to Marcombes: the quarterly allowance of
£250 for the three months from March 1 to June 1, 1642. And it was
from Youghal, on March 9, that he sent the letter—one of the finest
and saddest appeals ever written by a father to his children—that
was to greet Marcombes and the boys on their arrival at Marseilles.
[106]
It is a long letter. The Earl had received their news from Florence,
and was glad to hear of their health and proficiency; but the thought
of them, and how hereafter they were to subsist, was most grievous
unto him—
“And now or never,” he wrote to Marcombes, “is the tyme for you
to give yourself honour, and to make me and them your faithfull
friends for ever hereafter. Necessitie compells me to make you and
them know the dangerous and poore estate whereunto, by God’s
providence, I am at this instant reduced.”
An account of the outbreak and course of the Rebellion follows; of
Dungarvan’s and Kynalmeaky’s and Broghill’s doings, and of the
Earl’s own position in Youghal. It was a case of about “200,000 in
armes and rebellion against a poor handful of British Protestants.”
He tells Marcombes how in January he had scraped together with
much difficulty—by selling of plate—the £250 for their quarterly
allowance, and made it over to be paid by Mr. Perkins to Mr. Castell.
So far he had punctually supplied them—“which longer to doe I am
no waies able.” The £250, when they should receive it, must be
husbanded carefully, and employed to bring both boys home again.
They must land at Dublin, Cork, or Youghal. If they cannot do this,
they must go to Holland and serve under the Prince of Orange. They
must, in any case, manage to maintain themselves: “for with inward
greefe of soul I write this truth unto you that I am no longer able to
supply them ... but as I am compelled in my age to doe, so must they
in their younger yeares com̃ end themselves....
“But if they serve God and be carefull and discreet in their
carridge, God will bless and provide for them as hitherto he hath
done for me, who began in the raising of my fortune by good
endeavours; without any assistance of parents and friends....” And
he knows Marcombes is too generous to leave the boys, “my two
yong Sonnes that are soe deere unto me,” till he can see them safely
shipped for Ireland or “well entred in the warres of Holland”—as they
may desire and Marcombes advise.
This, then, was the letter that Marcombes and the two boys
received at Marseilles. It was then May, and the letter was dated
March 9; it was already two months old. They must have looked
blankly at each other. How were they to carry out the Earl’s wishes?
How were they both, without money, to make their way home? No
bill of exchange had reached them: Mr. Perkins, the London tailor,
had played them false.
It seems to have been arranged between them that Frank, the
elder brother, who at nineteen would be of some use at his father’s
side, should, with Marcombes’s assistance, make his way as quickly
as he could to Ireland and to Youghal. There is no mention of Betty
in this moment of decision. Marcombes was evidently able to scrape
together enough money out of what they still had to carry one of the
boys home—and it was to be Frank. And Robyn? Robyn at fifteen
was an “Eale” still. Had Marcombes sometimes exaggerated, in his
letters to the Earl, Robyn’s stature and strength? The sequel will
show. Poor Carew, in the Eton days, and Marcombes himself, wrote
of Robyn as a boy of sedentary habits, and a little “thicke.” If the truth
must be told, there was not much of the soldier in Robert Boyle. He
was the student, thinker, dreamer; and he knew himself to be
unqualified, at fifteen, “to be received among the troops.” And,
without money, it was quite impossible to provide himself with the
necessary “equipage.”
Apparently they all three—Marcombes, Frank, and Robyn—went
on as far as Lyons; and there it seems likely they parted: Frank in the
saddle, his horse’s head turned towards Ireland, and Robyn and
Marcombes returning in deep melancholy to Geneva. There Robyn
was to wait for further orders—to employ his time in learning to make
“an honourable living.” It is all told in his sad little letter, written from
Lyons to the Earl at Youghal: a letter which may have been carried to
Ireland in Frank’s pocket.
“My most honoured Lord and Father, Having according to your
Lordship’s order and directions seriously pondered and considered
the present estate of our affairs, we have not thought it expedient for
divers reasons that my Brother will tell your Lordship by word of
mouth that I should goe into Holland; for besides that I am already
weary and broken with a long journey of above eight hundred miles, I
am as yet too weake to undertake so long a voyage in a strange
country, where when I arrive I know nobody and have little hope by
reason of my youth to be received among the troops....” He explains
that the money had not come; but M. Marcombes had offered to
keep him at Geneva till they should hear further from the Earl, “or till
it pleased God to change the face of the affaires”; and Robyn had
gratefully accepted this offer. He hoped to fit himself to defend his
religion, King, and country, “according to my little power....
“... If your Lordship hath need of me in Ireland, I beseech your
Lordship to acquaint me therewith and to believe that I have never
beene taught to abandon my parents in adversity, but that there and
in all other places I will always strive to shew myself an obedient
sonne....”
Frank, he said, was ready to take horse to “goe towards Ireland, to
secoure your Lordship according to his power,” and would carry all
their news. And Robert ends his letter—
“I most humbly take my leave, commending your Lordship and him
and us all unto the protection of Almighty God, beseeching your
Lordship to believe that whatsoever misery or affliction it pleaseth
God to send me I will never doe the least action unworthy of the
honor that I have to be, my Lord, your Lordship’s most dutiful and
obedient son, Robert Boyle.”[107]
Dr. Grosart, in editing the Lismore papers, found the original letter
much damaged, a large piece of it having been torn away in the
breaking of the seal. The Earl had evidently torn it open hastily in his
anxiety to know what “my Robyn” was going to do. Whether or no
Frank delivered the letter into his father’s hands, Frank was certainly
quickly back in Ireland, and very much on the spot. By August 1
Robyn had received a letter from Frank, full of enthusiasm for
Kynalmeaky’s conduct at home.
For Kynalmeaky was in his element at last. “I have left Sleeping in
ye afternoone,” wrote Kynalmeaky to his old father in Youghal. The
son who had shown “all the faults a prodigall inordinate young man
can have, which if he take not up in tyme will be his ruine and the
breaking of my hart”, was redeeming himself. Kynalmeaky’s wife (the
Earl of Cork always called her “my deare deare daughter-in-law”)
had not been able to live with her husband; even the younger
brothers must long ago have known what Kynalmeaky was. And now
Frank had written to tell Robyn in Geneva that Kynalmeaky was
acting like a hero. And Robyn, so far away from home, had written
off on August 1 a little letter of tender admiration to this elder brother,
who had set them every bad example and yet had kept such a place
in their hearts. On the margin of this letter Robyn added a little
boyish postscript—only to say he could not express in words what he
was feeling, and ending with “Adieu, Dearest Lewis, idle Cosin. Bon
Anné, Bon Solé, bon Vespré. Adieue a Di vous commande.”
Did Kynalmeaky ever have this letter? It was dated from Geneva,
Aug. 1, and it was endorsed by the Earl of Cork himself, “from my
sonn Robert to his brother Kynal. Rec. 13 Oct.” Had it been sent to
the Earl, with Kynalmeaky’s papers—or had it indeed come too late?
For the battle of Liscarrol had been fought on Sept. 3. The Earl’s
loyal son-in-law, Lord Barrymore, and all the Earl’s sons except
Robert, fought in that battle.[108] And at the Battle of Liscarrol
Kynalmeaky was killed; killed on his horse, by a musket-shot through
the head. It was Frank—the “sweet-spirited Frank,” fresh from the
fencing and dancing and vaulting lessons in Geneva and Italy—who,
“carrying himself with undaunted resolution,” rescued his brother’s
body and horse, and kept troop and foot together.
The old man did not know then which of these two sons to be
proudest of. It was a grim satisfaction to the Earl, after all that had
passed, when “Kynal” had been buried in Lismore Church, to sit
down and make that entry in his diary: “Six of the rebell ensignes
were carried to his widdoe.”[109]
Robyn was to hear from his father once or twice after that. The
Earl held out brave hopes of being able to procure some “office” for
his boy “at his coming over.” And he sent his own “choice dun mare”
to Lismore, with orders that it was to be “kept and drest carefully” for
Robyn, when God should send him home again. And when Broghill’s
wife, “Lady Pegg,” was at last obliged to return to England, the old
Earl gave her a commission to buy for him a ring “besett rownd with
diamonds,” and to present it, from him, to her fair young cousin the
little Lady Ann Howard, whom he thought of always, even in those
dark days, as “my Robyn’s yonge Mrs.”
There is something Shakespearean in the mood in which this old
fighter lived his last months and drew his last breath. Shut up in
Youghal, “preserving” that town for his King, his sons away fighting,
his daughters and grandchildren scattered, Kynalmeaky and
Barrymore dead, and poor Lettice dying,[110] his lands despoiled, his
fortune vanished, he was still the great Earl of Cork, the head of a
great family, the old man of action and experience, the Elizabethan
soldier-statesman to whom the younger men, statesmen and
kinsmen alike, turned in this hour of extremity, and not in vain. There
is nothing stronger or more human of its kind, or more characteristic
of the man, than the positively last will and testament made by
himself in Youghal so late as November 1642, ten months before his
death.[111]
The end came, nobody knows exactly when, but about the very
time of the signing of the truce at Sigginstown, in the middle of
September 1643, “from infirmities incident to old age, and the want
of rest and quiet.”
He was buried in the great tomb at Youghal. All his life he had
believed in three things: in God’s Providence, his own integrity of
purpose, and the righteousness of a Cause. And in the debacle—in
his and Ireland’s darkest moment, when the clouds hung low over
his native land and the land of his adoption—his belief in these three
things remained unmoved.
Shakespeare has told us how Faith and Uncertainty go hand in
hand—
“If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now: if it
be not now, yet it will come....”
CHAPTER VIII
IN ENGLAND AGAIN
“And though his boiling youth did often very earnestly solicit to be employed in
those culpable delights that are useful[112] in and seem so proper for that season,
and have repentance adjourned till old age, yet did its importunities meet ever with
denials, Philaretus ever esteeming that piety was to be embraced not so much to
gain heaven, as to serve God with....”—Robert Boyle’s Philaretus.
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