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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:

Heart, front view

Pericardium

Cardiac tamponade

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.

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