[Cardiac tamponade. Clinical, paraclinical, outcome, and therapeutic features. Report of 15 cases].
The authors perform a prospective study of 15 cases of cardiac tamponade in the Department of Cardiology of the University Hospital of Dakar (Senegal) from January to July 1999. The prevalence of cardiac tamponade is 4 %. The mean age is 33 years. There is no sex predominance. The clinical findings are: class III or IV NYHA dyspnea (86.6 %), pulsus paradoxus (66.6 %), and decrease intensity of the heart sounds (100 %). The electrocardiogram revealed sinus rhythm in 86.6 %, a low voltage of the QRS in all cases, and abnormalities of repolarization, mainly inverted T waves (73.3%). The echocardiography shows circumferential pericardial effusion (66.6 %), a "swinging heart" (53.3 %) and compression of right heart chambers (66.6 %). The main etiology was tuberculosis. The evolution is good after pericardiocentesis, surgical drainage and medical therapy. Cardiac tamponade is cardio-vascular emergency almost always due to tuberculosis with a good outcome if a prompt pericardiocentesis is performed.
Diao
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Clinique Cardiologique - Hôpital A Le Dantec BP 3001 Dakar (Sénégal).
Ka
T A
TA
Kane
A
A
Thiam
O
O
Diop
I B
IB
Sarr
M
M
Ba
S A
SA
Diouf
S M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies