What Are the Symptoms of Cardiac Tamponade?

This condition may manifest the following symptoms: anxiety and restlessness low blood pressure and weakness chest pain radiating to your neck, shoulders, or back trouble breathing or taking deep breaths rapid breathing discomfort that is relieved by sitting or leaning forward fainting, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.

Definition
Cardiac tamponade occurs when fluid builds up between the heart muscle and the surrounding tissue called the pericardium. This fluid compresses the heart. Because of this, enough blood cannot be pumped in and out of the heart.This condition can be life-threatening. With proper treatment, the prognosis is good. Cardiac tamponade can return after treatment, though.

These factors increase your chance of developing this condition. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:

Heart surgery Tumors in the heart Heart attack Injury to the heart End-stage lung cancer Kidney failure Radiation therapy to the chest Hypothyroidism Systemic lupus erythematosus

Diagnosis Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. If you have a significant change in blood pressure between breaths, this is one way your doctor will diagnose this condition.

Your doctor may need images of your bodily structures. This can be done with: Chest x-ray Echocardiogram CT scan MRI scan Coronary angiography Your doctor may need to test your heart activity. This can be done with: Cardiac catheterization Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

Treatment This is a serious condition. It can be life-threatening and requires immediate hospitalization and treatment. Treatments are given to: Save the patient's life Improve heart function Relieve symptoms Treatments that are given for cardiac tamponade include:

Pericardiocentesis a procedure to drain the fluid around the heart

Fluids to maintain normal blood pressure Antibiotics Medications to help increase blood pressure to normal levels Oxygen to reduce workload on the heart Surgery to remove or cut part of the pericardium If you are diagnosed with cardiac tamponade, follow your doctor's instructions .

Cardiac arrhythmias- represent electrical disturbances of heart

rhythm, which affect the normal activation sequence of the heart muscle. Such arrhythmias may or may not be associated with symptoms, and may range from single extra heartbeats, to abnormally slow heart rates (bradycardias), to sustained, possibly life-threatening rapid heart rhythms (tachycardias). Patients with heart rhythm disturbances that require treatment are typically referred by their physician to a cardiac electrophysiologist, a specially trained and certified cardiologist.