CARDIAC TAMPONADE OR SOMETHING MORE: WHEN HEMODYNAMICS DON’T IMPROVE WITH PERICARDIOCENTESIS

Cardiac tamponade complicating leukaemia: immediate chemotherapy or pericardiocentesis?

Although leukaemic infiltration of the pericardium is frequently observed at post-mortem, clinically evident cardiac tamponade is rare. Two cases of cardiac tamponade complicating leukaemia are presented. One patient had cardiac tamponade as the initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and experienced complete resolution of the pericardial effusion within 6 days after chemotherapy ...

Coronary artery hemodynamics in conscious dog during cardiac tamponade.

We tested the hypothesis that coronary artery blood flow is sufficient to meet myocardial requirements throughout cardiac tamponade in a conscious euvolemic canine model recovered from surgery. Seven mongrel dogs were chronically instrumented to measure ascending aortic blood flow (electromagnetic flowmeter); intrapericardial, right atrial, and aortic blood pressures; regional myocardial blood ...

Just Sinus Bradycardia or Something More Serious?

An asymptomatic 5-year-old girl presented with bradycardia during a routine well-child visit. Further evaluation revealed profound sinus bradycardia, exercise-induced bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, and supraventricular tachycardia. An echocardiogram showed heavy trabeculations in the left ventricular myocardium. This patient's presentation suggested catecholaminergic polymorphic ventric...

Paradoxical response of plasma atrial natriuretic hormone to pericardiocentesis in cardiac tamponade.

Subxiphoid pericardiocentesis guided by contrast two-dimensional echocardiography in cardiac tamponade: experience of 110 consecutive patients.

AIMS We evaluated echo-guided pericardiocentesis with contrast study in cardiac tamponade management. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1982 to 1998 we performed pericardiocentesis in 110 patients (56 +/- 14 years old). Subxiphoid approach was used in 109. Cardiac tamponade was idiopathic (n = 16), secondary to malignant disease (n = 50) and miscellaneous disorders (n = 44). RESULTS Pericardial flu...