Cardiac tamponade Test Questions and Answers Graded A+
Overview - -Rapid or slow increase in Death
intrapericardial pressure caused by fluid
accumulation in the pericardial sac
Impaired diastolic filling of the heart Assessment-History - -Presence of one or
more causes
Dyspnea
Overview-Pathophysiology - -Progressive Shortness of breath
accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac Chest pain
causes compression of the heart chambers. Activity intolerance with minimal activity
Compression of the heart chambers obstructs (subacute)
blood flow into the ventricles and reduces the Anxiety, restlessness
amount of blood pumped out with each
contraction.
Ventricular pressure increases, causing Assessment-Physical Findings - -Vary with
decreased ventricular filling. volume of fluid and speed of fluid accumulation
With each contraction, more fluid accumulates, Diaphoresis
decreasing cardiac output. (See Understanding Pallor or cyanosis
cardiac tamponade.) Jugular vein distention
Edema
Rapid, weak pulses
Overview-Causes - -Acute myocardial Hepatomegaly
infarction Decreased arterial blood pressure
Cardiac catheterization Increased central venous pressure
Cardiac surgery Pulsus paradoxus
Chronic renal failure Tachycardia
Connective tissue disorders Narrow pulse pressure
Drug reaction Muffled heart sounds
Effusion in cancer, bacterial infections, Beck's triad: increased jugular venous pressure,
tuberculosis and, rarely, acute rheumatic fever hypotension, and diminished heart sounds (with
Hemorrhage from nontraumatic cause acute tamponade)
May be idiopathic
Trauma, including blunt chest trauma
Diagnostic Test Results-Laboratory -
Viral, postirradiation, or idiopathic pericarditis -
Creatinine kinase and isoenzyme levels are
elevated with myocardial infarction and cardiac
Overview-Incidence - -Cardiac tamponade trauma.
is slightly more common in males than in
females.
The disorder occurs with 2% of penetrating chest Diagnostic Test Results-Imaging - -Chest
traumas. X-rays show a slightly widened mediastinum,
enlargement of the cardiac silhouette, a water-
bottle-shaped heart, and pericardial calcifications.
Overview-Complications - -Pulmonary Echocardiography may reveal a moderate-to-
edema large effusion and swinging of the heart within the
Cardiogenic shock effusion, chamber collapse (usually on the right
Pericardial constriction side), changes in volume and flow with
1/3
Overview - -Rapid or slow increase in Death
intrapericardial pressure caused by fluid
accumulation in the pericardial sac
Impaired diastolic filling of the heart Assessment-History - -Presence of one or
more causes
Dyspnea
Overview-Pathophysiology - -Progressive Shortness of breath
accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac Chest pain
causes compression of the heart chambers. Activity intolerance with minimal activity
Compression of the heart chambers obstructs (subacute)
blood flow into the ventricles and reduces the Anxiety, restlessness
amount of blood pumped out with each
contraction.
Ventricular pressure increases, causing Assessment-Physical Findings - -Vary with
decreased ventricular filling. volume of fluid and speed of fluid accumulation
With each contraction, more fluid accumulates, Diaphoresis
decreasing cardiac output. (See Understanding Pallor or cyanosis
cardiac tamponade.) Jugular vein distention
Edema
Rapid, weak pulses
Overview-Causes - -Acute myocardial Hepatomegaly
infarction Decreased arterial blood pressure
Cardiac catheterization Increased central venous pressure
Cardiac surgery Pulsus paradoxus
Chronic renal failure Tachycardia
Connective tissue disorders Narrow pulse pressure
Drug reaction Muffled heart sounds
Effusion in cancer, bacterial infections, Beck's triad: increased jugular venous pressure,
tuberculosis and, rarely, acute rheumatic fever hypotension, and diminished heart sounds (with
Hemorrhage from nontraumatic cause acute tamponade)
May be idiopathic
Trauma, including blunt chest trauma
Diagnostic Test Results-Laboratory -
Viral, postirradiation, or idiopathic pericarditis -
Creatinine kinase and isoenzyme levels are
elevated with myocardial infarction and cardiac
Overview-Incidence - -Cardiac tamponade trauma.
is slightly more common in males than in
females.
The disorder occurs with 2% of penetrating chest Diagnostic Test Results-Imaging - -Chest
traumas. X-rays show a slightly widened mediastinum,
enlargement of the cardiac silhouette, a water-
bottle-shaped heart, and pericardial calcifications.
Overview-Complications - -Pulmonary Echocardiography may reveal a moderate-to-
edema large effusion and swinging of the heart within the
Cardiogenic shock effusion, chamber collapse (usually on the right
Pericardial constriction side), changes in volume and flow with
1/3
