User:Mr. Ibrahem/Pericardial effusion
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pericardial effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space around the heart.[1] Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, and tiredness.[1] Onset may be sudden or gradual.[1] Complications may include cardiac tamponade with low blood pressure, fast heart rate, jugular venous distension, and distant heart sounds.[1]
Pericardial effusion | |
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A 2D transthoracic echocardiogram of a massive pericardial effusion. The "swinging" heart | |
Specialty | Cardiac surgery |
Symptoms | Chest pain, shortness of breath, tiredness[1] |
Complications | Cardiac tamponade[1] |
Usual onset | Sudden, gradual[1] |
Types | Transudate, exudate, bloody[1] |
Diagnostic method | Ultrasound of the heart[1] |
Differential diagnosis | Pericarditis, pulmonary edema, dilated cardiomyopathy, constrictive pericarditis, pulmonary embolism[1] |
Treatment | Conservative management, pericardiocentesis[1] |
Frequency | Relatively common[1] |
In the developed world the most common cause is viral pericarditis.[1] Other causes include infections, autoimmune disorders, cancer, trauma, following a heart attack, thoracic aortic dissection, kidney failure, low thyroid, and cirrhosis.[1] Diagnosis is confirmed by ultrasound of the heart.[1] Normal levels of pericardial fluid are from 15 to 50 ml.[1]
Treatment depends on the underlying cause, size of the effusion, and a person's symptoms.[1] Small effusions may be managed conservatively while large effusions may be treated with pericardiocentesis.[1] Pericardial effusions are relatively common.[1] They were first described around 200 AD by Galen.[2]