What Is Cardiac Temponade
Cardiac tamponade, also known as pericardial tamponade, is an emergency that occur when blood or fluid builds up in the space between the myocardium (the muscle of the heart) and the pericardium (the outer covering sac of the heart). Fluid that collects in the pericardial sac can exert enough pressure to prevent the heart from relaxing completely between beats. Usually, this fluid has accumulated rapidly, and the increase in pericardial pressure causes a sudden decrease in cardiac output. Severe pericardial fluid pressure can cause a drop in blood pressure, shock, abnormal heart rhythms, and death.
Cardiac tamponade related to trauma or HIV is more common in young adults. Cardiac tamponade can be caused by anything that inflames or injures the pericardium. Some common causes are pericarditis, chest trauma and viral or bacterial infection. In a patient with cardiac tamponade, the heart experiences reduced stroke volume. This results in decreased oxygenation. The patient may have a very rapid pulse, and symptoms such as chest pain, anxiety, and extreme discomfort can be observed in the patient.
It can be complicated to diagnose cardiac tamponade, as no one medical test will reveal the condition. Blood tests, echocardiograms and other medical imaging studies can reveal abnormalities which suggest cardiac tamponade. And it can be difficult to predict when a patient will develop this condition. So it is necessary that medical care providers should tend to pay close attention to patients who are at risk so that interventions can be provided promptly, otherwise patients with this condition will die if they are not treated, and the treatment needs to take place in a hospital environment.