Pericardial effusion presentation varies from person to person depending on the size, acuity and underlying cause of the effusion. Some people may be asymptomatic and the effusion may be an incidental finding on an examination. Others with larger effusions may present with chest pressure or pain, dyspnea, shortness of breath, and malaise (a general feeling of discomfort or illness). Yet others with cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening complication, may present with dyspnea, low blood pressure, weakness, restlessness, hyperventilation (rapid breathing), discomfort with laying flat, dizziness, syncope or even loss of consciousness. This causes a type of shock, called obstructive shock, which can lead to organ damage. Non-cardiac symptoms may also present due to the enlarging pericardial effusion compressing nearby structures. Some examples are nausea and abdominal fullness, dysphagia and hiccups, due to compression of stomach, esophagus, and phrenic nerve respectively.
medical diagnosis of Pericarditis
medical cause of Constrictive pericarditis
medical cause of Pericarditis
medical cause of Myocardial infarction
medical cause of Myocarditis
medical cause of Chest pain
complications of Pericarditis
medical cause of Ventricular fibrillation