Paucis Verbis: Cardiac tamponade or just an effusion?

Posted by Michelle Lin, MD on

What is a cardiac tamponade? It is a clinical state where pericardial fluid causes hemodynamic compromise. With bedside ultrasonography in most Emergency Departments now, it’s relatively easy to detect a pericardial effusion.

But what we more want to know in the immediate setting is: Is this cardiac tamponade?

You can look for RA systolic or RV diastolic collapse. What if it’s equivocal? How good is the clinical exam and EKG in ruling out a tamponade?

Answer

Poor to average, at best. The Beck’s triad of hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds are important to remember … only on tests.

Think about performing a pulsus paradoxus test to see if it’s >12 mmHg. This is a sign of physiologic compromise. Note that the typical cutoff has been 10 mmHg but 12 mmHg is a more specific test.

PV Card: Cardiac Tamponade


Adapted from [1]
Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources.

Thanks to Dr. Hemal Kanzaria for suggesting this JAMA article!

Refrence

  1. Roy CL, Minor MA, Brookhart MA, Choudhry NK. Does This Patient With a Pericardial Effusion Have Cardiac Tamponade? JAMA. 2007;297(16):1810. doi: 10.1001/jama.297.16.1810

Author information

ALiEM Founder and CEO
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco

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