Pericardiocentesis is the evacuation of fluid (which exceeds physiologic levels) from pericardial space. Although it’s generally used as a life saving procedure in cardiac tamponade, it is also used for diagnostic purposes. Together with the advances in imaging modalities, pericardiocentesis techniques are diversed. In this report our aim is to give an idea about the history and indications of ...

Right ventricle perforation is an uncommon, but potentially fatal, possible complication of pericardiocentesis. We presented a case of right ventricular perforation that developed during urgent pericardiocentesis due to tamponade. This case was successfully treated with the incremental removal of the drainage catheter, replacing it with a smaller catheter at 10-minute intervals. This may be an ...

Background. Cardiac tamponade (CT) represents a life-threatening condition, and the optimal method of draining accumulated pericardial fluid remains controversial. We have reviewed 100 patients with CT at our institution over a five-year period and compared the results of echo-guided pericardiocentesis, primary surgical treatment, and surgical treatment following pericardiocentesis with regard ...

Background: Pericardial effusions occur due to excessive fluid accumulation in the pericardial space. In not responding medical treatment, pericardiocentesis is an important method of treatment affecting prognosis. CRP/albumin ratios have been found be associated with prognosis conditions such as cardiac failure, sepsis, malignancy; and routine available parameters used for prediction patients ...

Introduction. The use of ultrasound during resuscitation is emphasized in the latest European resuscitation council guidelines of 2013 to identify treatable conditions such as pericardial tamponade. The recommended standard treatment of tamponade in various guidelines is pericardiocentesis. As ultrasound guidance lowers the complication rates and increases the patient's safety, pericardiocentes...

JB Ball, WL Morrison Summary Cardiac tamponade is a cardiological emergency requiring prompt treatment in order to avoid a fatal outcome. It can complicate a number of medical conditions and it is important, therefore, that all practitioners are aware of its presentation, diagnosis and management. These are outlined. We suggest that, with certain specific and important exceptions, percutaneous ...

BACKGROUND Pericardiocentesis is a low-frequency, high-risk procedure integral to the practice of emergency medicine. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis is the preferred technique for providing this critical intervention. Traditionally, emergency physicians learned pericardiocentesis in real time, at the bedside, on critically ill patients. Medical education is moving toward simulation for tr...

Before the advent of ultrasound, percutaneous pericardiocentesis was associated with relatively high mortality and complication rates (6% and 20-50%, respectively) [1-3]. Ultrasound (US)-guided pericardiocentesis has dramatically decreased the incidence of complications by direct visualization of the heart and other adjacent vital structures. US helps localize the size and location of the peric...

BACKGROUND Echocardiographic signs of constrictive physiology (CP) after pericardiocentesis are frequently observed in malignancy patients. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether features of CP after pericardiocentesis have prognostic impact in malignancy patients with pericardial effusion (PE). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 467 consecutive patients who underwent perica...

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 ...