An ultrasound of the heart showing cardiac tamponade. The three classic signs, known as Beck's triad, are low blood pressure, jugular-venous distension, and muffled heart sounds. Other signs may include pulsus paradoxus (a drop of at least 10 mmHg in arterial blood pressure with inspiration), and ST segment changes on the electrocardiogram, which may also show low voltage QRS complexes. Medical imaging Tamponade can often be diagnosed radiographically. Echocardiography, which is the diagnostic test of choice, often demonstrates an enlarged pericardium or collapsed ventricles. A large cardiac tamponade will show as an enlarged globular-shaped heart on chest x-ray. During inspiration, the negative pressure in the thoracic cavity will cause increased pressure into the right ventricle. This increased pressure in the right ventricle will cause the interventricular septum to bulge towards the left ventricle, leading to decreased filling of the left ventricle. At the same time, right ventricle volume is markedly diminished and sometimes it can collapse. Differential diagnosis Initial diagnosis of cardiac tamponade can be challenging, as there is a broad differential diagnosis. The differential includes possible diagnoses based on symptoms, time course, mechanism of injury, patient history. Rapid onset cardiac tamponade may also appear similar to pleural effusions, shock, pulmonary embolism, and tension pneumothorax. If symptoms appeared more gradually, the differential diagnosis includes acute heart failure. In a person with trauma presenting with pulseless electrical activity in the absence of hypovolemia and tension pneumothorax, the most likely diagnosis is cardiac tamponade. In addition to the diagnostic complications afforded by the wide-ranging differential diagnosis for chest pain, diagnosis can be additionally complicated by the fact that people will often be weak or faint at presentation. For instance, a fast rate of breathing and difficulty breathing on exertion that progresses to air hunger at rest can be a key diagnostic symptom, but it may not be possible to obtain such information from people who are unconscious or who have convulsions at presentation.
complications of Pericarditis
complications of Dilated cardiomyopathy
complications of Myocardial stunning
complications of Angina
medical cause of Constrictive pericarditis
complications of Atrial fibrillation
complications of Myocardial infarction
medical cause of Pericarditis