Pericardial effusion and electrical alternans: echocardiographic assessment.
Clinical diagnosis of pericardial effusion is often difficult, and assessment of the effects of effusion on cardiac hemodynamics is often imprecise. Electrical alternans is a reasonably specific ECG indicator of the presence of a large effusion and imminent or actual cardiac tamponade. If echocardiography verifies the presennce of pericardial fluid and shows abnormal cardiac motion, a diagnosis of cardiac tamponade can be made without further, more invasive, studies.
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology