title: Impact of controlled pericardial drainage on critical cardiac tamponade with acute type A aortic dissection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac tamponade is associated with fatal outcomes for patients with acute type A aortic dissection, and the presence of cardiac tamponade should prompt urgent aortic repair. However, treatment of the patient with critical cardiac tamponade who cannot survive until surgery remains unclear. We analyzed our experience of controlled pericardial drainage (CPD) managing critical cardiac tamponade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between September 2003 and May 2011, 175 patients with acute type A aortic dissection were treated surgically, including 43 (24.6%) who presented with cardiac tamponade on arrival. Eighteen patients, who did not respond to intravenous volume resuscitation, underwent CPD in the emergency department. An 8F pigtail drainage catheter was inserted percutaneously, and drainage volume was controlled by means of several cycles of intermittent drainage to maintain blood pressure at ≈90 mm Hg. After CPD, all of the patients were transferred to the operating room, and immediate aortic repair was performed. Systolic blood pressure before CPD was 64.3 ± 8.2 mm Hg and elevated significantly in all of the cases after CPD. Systolic blood pressure after CPD was 94.8 ± 10.5 mm Hg, and increase in systolic pressure was 30.5 ± 11.7 mm Hg. Total volume of aspirated pericardial effusion was 40.1 ± 30.6 mL, and 10 patients required only ≤30-mL aspiration volume. All of the patients underwent aortic repair successfully. In-hospital mortality was 16.7%; however, there was no complications or mortality related to CPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative pericardial drainage with control of volume is a safe and effective procedure for acute type A aortic dissection complicated by critical cardiac tamponade. In our patient population, timely controlled pericardial drainage is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Kobe Hospital/Hyogo Emergency Medical Center, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukube
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: Ritsu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozawa
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okita
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D057785:Catheters; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D009929:Organ Size; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography