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Cardiac tamponade - Symptom

Alternative Names

Tamponade; Pericardial tamponade

Symptoms:

  • Anxiety, restlessness
  • Chest pain
    • Radiating to the neck, shoulder, back, or abdomen
    • Sharp, stabbing
    • Worsened by deep breathing or coughing
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Discomfort, sometimes relieved by sitting upright or leaning forward
  • Fainting, light-headedness
  • Pale, gray, or blue skin
  • Palpitations
  • Rapid breathing
  • Swelling of the abdomen or other areas

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Weak or absent pulse

Signs and tests:

There are no specific laboratory tests that diagnose tamponade. Echocardiogram is the first choice to help establish the diagnosis.

Signs:

  • Blood pressure may fall (pulsus paradoxical) when the person inhales deeply
  • Breathing may be rapid (faster than 12 breaths in an adult per minute)
  • Heart rate may be over 100 (normal is 60 to 100 beats per minute)
  • Heart sounds faint during examination with a stethoscope
  • Neck veins may be abnormally extended (distended) but the blood pressure may be low
  • Peripheral pulses may be weak or absent

Other tests may include:

  • Reviewed last on: 5/15/2008
  • Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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