Skip to main content

Cardiac Tamponade

Mansi Katkar, MD and Joseph Francis Urbanik, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • An accumulation of fluid within the pericardium that causes compression of the chambers of the heart, impairing diastolic filling, reducing cardiac output, and ultimately leading to ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Dyspnea: most sensitive symptom (88%) (1)

  • Vague chest pain or an overall subjective sense of discomfort

  • Syncope or presyncopal symptoms

  • Altered mentation from poor perfusion

  • Nausea or ab...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

Maintain hemodynamic stability until definitive drainage, ICU monitoring; may consider Swan-Ganz catheter if time allows 

MEDICATION

First Line

Fluid resuscitation 
  • Fluid bolus w...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

Follow-up echocardiogram may be used to evaluate for recurrence of effusions. 

DIET

Following a heart-healthy diet is recommended. 

PROGNOSIS

Acute ...

REFERENCES

1
Shyy  W, Knight  RS, Kornblith  A, et al. Point-of-care diagnosis of cardiac tamponade identification by the flow velocity paradoxus. J Ultrasound Med. ...

ADDITONAL READING

Grecu  L. Cardiac tamponade. Int Anesthesiol Clin.  2012; 50(2): 59– 77. 

CODES

ICD10

I31.4 Cardiac tamponade 

SNOMED

35304003 Cardiac tamponade (disorder) 

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Cardiac tamponade is a potentially reversible cause of pulseless electrical activity.

  • Checking for pulsus paradoxus may be a useful bedside maneuver with reasonable sensitivity in most ...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

 
×