Cardiac Tamponade
Beck's Triad of symptoms:
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|
| Hypotension | Decreased stroke volume |
Jugular-venous distension
(Distended neck veins) |
Impaired venous return to heart |
| Muffled heart sounds | Fluid inside pericardium |
Other symptoms...
- Anxiety
- Breathing difficulty
- Swelling
- Pale/grey skin
- Palpitations
- Tachycardia
- Weak pulse
- Pain: chest, neck, shoulder, back
- Tachypnoea
The result may be...
- Ineffective pumping of blood
- Shock
- A drop in arterial BP of at least 10 mm/Hg on inspiration
- Death.
Treatment includes...
- Oxygen
- Bed rest with leg elevation
- Positive inotropic drugs (eg, Dobutamine)
- Pericardiocentesis
- Volume expansion (blood, plasma, dextran...)
Tutorial
Warning:
Avoid positive pressure assisted ventilation, because it may decrease
venous return.