Cardiac Tamponade and How it Comes About
Cardiac tamponade is sometimes called pericardial tamponade or simply tamponade. It is a condition wherein the heart is compressed to a critical level caused by either fluid or blood accumulation inside it. The fluid and blood buildup occurs between the myocardium or the heart’s muscles and the pericardium or the heart’s outer sac.
When these fluid and blood collect in the pericardium, the ventricles are prevented from fully expanding. If this happens, the heart cannot fill itself with blood nor it can pump blood correctly. This can be a rather severe condition if not attended to accordingly.
It is believed that bacteria and viruses are the thing that causes cardiac tamponade. Heart surgery, any wounds directly affecting the heart, acute myocardial infarction, and lung cancer may also cause this disease. Existing diseases like kidney failure, heart tumor, heart attack, radiation therapy of the chest, and hypothyrodism are also causes of cardiac tamponade. Studies had shown that around two persons out of ten thousand develops this kind of disease.
Cardiac tamponade have different symptoms. The first of which is the anxiety or restlessness as felt by the patient. They would also feel discomfort that is usually relieved by leaning forward or sitting upright. Patients are also observed to experience difficulty or rapid breathing. Fainting, lightheadedness, chest pains, palpitation are also apparent. The swelling of the patient’s abdomen and the bluing or graying of their skins are also symptoms. Aside from these, absent or weak pulse, dizziness, drowsiness, and low blood pressure may also occur.
To diagnose cardiac tamponade, echocardiogram is the first laboratory that doctors accomplish. The test will show the sounds made by the heart, whether it is faint or normal under the stethoscope. The people with cardiac tamponade have their heart rate to be well over 100 beats in a minute. Their breathing is very rapid at twelve breaths in a minute in adults. And their blood pressure is expected to fall as they inhale deeply.
And after a chest x-ray, Chest CT scan, or coronary angiography is conducted, the patient may show some fluid in their heart’s pericardial sac. If it so appears, doctors will soon conclude cardiac tamponade after a few more tests. ECG is also expected to report waveforms of low voltage.
To treat cardiac tamponade, hospitalization is required. This particular heart condition but an emergency situation and can be very fatal. The treatment of this disease is intent on saving the life of the patient among all things. Along with that, the improvement of their heart’s functions and relief of symptoms are also carried out.
A surgery called pericardiocentesis is performed on them. Pericardiocentesis is the method of draining the fluid that is found around the patient’s heart. The surgical cutting or removal of a part of the pericardial window is a way to do it.
During the procedure, it is essential that the patient’s blood pressure be increased so as to sustain their life until after the fluid in their heart is drained. Oxygen is also given to them because it aids in reducing the workload of the heart during the operation.
Indeed, cardiac tamponade is life-threatening especially if it is left untreated. And even though it is successfully treated, it may recur unnecessarily. It may also give rise to different complications as well, and that includes heart failure or pulmonary edema. It is a must that a professional health care provider be summoned so that the disease can be halted in its tracks. Many cases of cardiac tamponade are not at all preventable. The only guard against cardiac tamponade is the awareness of a person with his risk factors against the disease so that diagnosis and consequent treatment of it be performed immediately.
