Y. V. Subba Reddy 1 , Adikesava Naidu Otikunta 2 , Vijayalakshmi Nuthakki 3 , Ravi Srinivas 4
BACKGROUND Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening, slow or rapid compression of the heart due to the pericardial accumulation of fluid, pus, blood, because of effusion, trauma or rupture of the heart. It was an observational study and included 40 patients with cardiac tamponade. We looked for incidence of Beck’s triad and pulsus paradoxus, electrocardiographic presence of electrical alternans, echocardiographic evidence of cardiac tamponade and aetiology of cardiac tamponade. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a single-centre observational study that included 40 patients diagnosed with cardiac tamponade between January 2014 and January 2015. All patients were assessed concerning the clinical features, aetiology, electrocardiographic details and echocardiographic findings and quantification. RESULTS Total 25 patients were females; 34 (85.0%) patients presented with pulsus paradoxus. Malignancy (42.5%) was the most common aetiology for cardiac tamponade. Paradoxical hypertension was noted among five patients. Cardiac tamponade due to hypothyroidism was present in 7 patients. 39 patients presented with electrical alternans on ECG. Most of the patients had large pericardial effusion (50.0%). All patients were treated with pericardiocentesis and there was no in-hospital complication or mortality. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that malignancy is increasing as an aetiology for cardiac tamponade (42.5%) followed by tuberculosis. Hypothyroidism as an aetiology for cardiac tamponade is not that rare (17.5%). Beck’s triad is not seen in all cases. JVP is raised in all patients. Hypertension at the time of presentation doesn’t rule out cardiac tamponade. Both ECG and echocardiography can be efficiently used in the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. Pericardiocentesis is a noteworthy method for treatment of cardiac tamponade.
