title: Intracardiac echocardiography identifies pericardial fluid and can monitor the success of pericardiocentesis: experimental studies.
abstract: Pericardial tamponade is a complication of cardiac catheterization. Our purpose was to evaluate the ability of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to identify pericardial fluid and the success of pericardiocentesis in an experimental model. Seven dogs were studied with the use of a 10F, 10-MHz ICE catheter in the left ventricle. Normal saline was injected into the pericardial space while heart rate and arterial pressure were continuously monitored. The ability of ICE to identify the presence of pericardial fluid and the maximum pericardial separation and to monitor fluid accumulation and withdrawal was evaluated. Thirteen sequences of saline injection/withdrawal were studied. ICE correctly identified the presence or absence of pericardial fluid in all 13 injection/withdrawal sequences. The average sonolucent space separating epicardium from pericardium was 12 +/- 7 mm, generated from 148 +/- 65 mL of saline and producing a 35 +/- 23 mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure. ICE readily identified the accumulation and removal of pericardial fluid in this experimental model and should be an excellent tool to monitor pericardiocentesis in the catheterization laboratory.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kerber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015588:Observer Variation; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000379:methods*