Highlights & Basics
- Cardiac tamponade is a medical emergency; can be rapidly fatal if not promptly drained through needle pericardiocentesis or surgical drainage of the pericardium.
- Clinical signs include tachycardia, hypotension, distant heart sounds, elevated jugular venous pressure, and a pulsus paradoxus >10 mmHg.
- Echocardiography is essential for evaluation.
- Cardiac tamponade may be caused by any disorder that results in pericardial effusion.
- Pericardiocentesis may be complicated by puncture or laceration of the coronary, internal mammary, or pericardial blood vessels.
Quick Reference
History & Exam
Key Factors
Other Factors
Diagnostics Tests
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Definition
Epidemiology
Etiology
Pathophysiology
Citations
Klein AL, Abbara S, Agler DA, et al. American Society of Echocardiography clinical recommendations for multimodality cardiovascular imaging of patients with pericardial disease: endorsed by the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2013 Sep;26(9):965-1012.e15.[Abstract][Full Text]
Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M, et al. 2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Eur Heart J. 2015 Nov 7;36(42):2921-64.[Abstract][Full Text]
Little WC, Freeman GL. Pericardial disease. Circulation. 2006 Mar 28;113(12):1622-32.[Abstract][Full Text]
Soler-Soler J, Sagristà-Sauleda J, Permanyer-Miralda G., et al. Management of pericardial effusion. Heart. 2001;86:235-240.[Abstract]
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