DIAGNOSIS OF CARDIAC TAMPONADE Roberts: Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine, 4th ed. Patient Profile and Symptoms

Classic clinical findings have been described for tamponade. However, these findings are often obvious only when the patient is unstable due to tamponade. Ideally, tamponade is diagnosed early, when the patient suffers no more than dyspnea, weakness, or perhaps right heart failure. It is common to attribute respiratory symptoms (e.g., dyspnea on exertion) to a more common condition such as heart failure or pulmonary pathology and to overlook pericardial effusion until the classic late signs (e.g., hypotension) appear.