Emergency department echocardiography in the diagnosis and therapy of cardiac tamponade.
A 44-year-old male presented to the emergency department in shock with jugular venous distension and upper chest cyanosis. Superior vena cava syndrome was ruled out by computed tomography (CT scan). However, a large pericardial effusion was found on CT scan and confirmed by sonography. Pericardial tamponade was diagnosed by emergency physicians and sonography-guided pericardiocentesis was performed with marked improvement in symptomatology.
Mazurek
B
B
Division of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Martinsville, VA.
Jehle
D
D
Martin
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010492:Pericardiectomy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed