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Purulent Pericarditis; Echocardiogram showing pericardial effusion with signs of cardiac tamponade: Specialty: Cardiology: Symptoms: substernal chest pain (exacerbated supine and with breathing deeply), dyspnea, fever, rigors/chills, and cardiorespiratory signs (i.e., tachycardia, friction rub, pulsus paradoxus, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, pleural effusion)
Beck's triad is a collection of three medical signs associated with acute cardiac tamponade, a medical emergency when excessive fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac around the heart and impairs its ability to pump blood. The signs are low arterial blood pressure, distended neck veins, and distant, muffled heart sounds. [1]
The diagnosis may be further supported by specific electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, chest X-ray, or an ultrasound of the heart. [2] If fluid increases slowly the pericardial sac can expand to contain more than 2 liters; however, if the increase is rapid, as little as 200 mL can result in tamponade. [2] Tamponade is a medical emergency. [5]
Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (commonly abbreviated as FAST) is a rapid bedside ultrasound examination performed by surgeons, emergency physicians, and paramedics as a screening test for blood around the heart (pericardial effusion) or abdominal organs (hemoperitoneum) after trauma.
A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is usually sufficient to evaluate pericardial effusion and it may also help distinguish pericardial effusion from pleural effusion and MI. Most pericardial effusions appear as an anechoic area (black or without an echo) between the visceral and the parietal membrane. [1]
Pericardiocentesis is a procedure whereby the fluid in a pericardial effusion is removed through a needle. It is performed under the following conditions: [15] presence of moderate or severe cardiac tamponade; diagnostic purpose for suspected purulent, tuberculosis, or neoplastic pericarditis; persistent symptomatic pericardial effusion
It is clinically similar to a pericardial effusion, and, depending on the volume and rapidity with which it develops, may cause cardiac tamponade. [1] The condition can be caused by full-thickness necrosis (death) of the myocardium (heart muscle) after myocardial infarction, chest trauma, [2] and by over-prescription of anticoagulants.
With cardiac tamponade, jugular veins are distended and typically show a prominent x descent and an absent y descent as opposed to patients with constrictive pericarditis (prominent x and y descent); see Beck's triad. [1] Other possible causes of Kussmaul's sign include: [2] [citation needed] Right ventricular infarction - low ventricular ...