title: Pericardiotomy and right ventricular failure: a case report.
abstract: A 57-year-old woman developed cardiogenic shock secondary to right ventricular failure in the postoperative setting. Because of clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism, the patient was taken to the operating room for emergency thrombectomy. The patient improved dramatically after sternotomy and pericardiotomy, with no evidence of thrombus being found. Sternotomy followed by pericardiotomy may have a role in the treatment of acute right ventricular failure with small pericardial effusion.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Division, Department APSI, Geneva University Hospitals, CH-1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendjelid
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000601:surgery; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D017131:Thrombectomy; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*