Alternative Names
Tamponade; Pericardial tamponade
Symptoms:
- Anxiety, restlessness
- Chest pain
- Radiating to the neck, shoulder, back, or abdomen
- Sharp, stabbing
- Worsened by deep breathing or coughing
- Difficulty breathing
- Discomfort, sometimes relieved by sitting upright or leaning forward.
- Fainting, light-headedness
- Pale, gray, or blue skin
- Palpitations
- Rapid breathing
- Swelling of the abdomen or other areas
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Low blood pressure
- Weak or absent pulse
Signs and tests:
There are no specific laboratory tests that diagnose tamponade. Echocardiogram is the first choice to help establish the diagnosis.
Signs:
- Blood pressure may fall (pulsus paradoxical) when the person inhales deeply
- Breathing may be rapid (faster than 12 breaths in an adult per minute)
- Heart rate may be over 100 (normal is 60 to 100 beats per minute)
- Heart sounds faint during examination with a stethoscope
- Neck veins may be abnormally extended (distended) but the blood pressure may be low
- Peripheral pulses may be weak or absent
Other tests may include:
