Cardiac Tamponade, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

This book describes Cardiac Tamponade, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases
Cardiac tamponade is a constant pressure on the heart that happens when too much blood or fluid collects in the space between the heart muscle and the outer covering sac of the heart.
Cardiac tamponade is caused by the collection of blood, fluid, pus, clots, or gas in the pericardial space, resulting in decreased ventricular filling and subsequent hemodynamic compromise
The fluid filled pericardial cavity prevents the heart ventricles from expanding fully reducing blood flow to the body.
The heart may stop pumping and death occurs.
Causes:
Pericarditis
Trauma and surgery
Cancer of breast and lung
Heart attack
Symptoms:
Cardiac tamponade may manifest with symptoms of fast breathing, breathing problems, anxiety, restlessness, fainting, chest pain, palpitations.
Signs
1.Distended neck veins,
2.Hypotension,
3.Tachycardia,
4.Tachypnea and
5.Hepatomegaly.
6.Muffled heart sounds.
7.Pericardial friction rub - evident in 50% but may be temporary.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Tamponade can often be difficult.
It can be diagnosed radiographically, if time permits.
The echocardiography often demonstrates an enlarged pericardium, and a chest x-ray of a large cardiac tamponade will indicate a large, globular heart.
The medical acumen of the heart specialist plays a larger part than imaging.
The echocardiogram is the test of choice to help confirm the diagnosis
Coronary angiography may be done
Pericardiocentesis; aspirate sent for culture and cytology.
Pericardial biopsy: may sometimes be needed
Treatment

The treatment of cardiac tamponade involves both pre-hospital and hospital care.

When the cardiac output is being affected, the peripheral tissues are being starved for oxygen.
As a first aid treatment, oxygen can be given.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment is the solution to survival with cardiac tamponade.
In advanced locations, pre-hospital teams do pericardocentesis,to drain the fluid, which can be life saving.
Cardiac tamponade is an emergency disorder that requires to be treated in the hospital.
The fluid around the heart must be drained as quickly as possible.
An intervention called pericardiocentesis that makes use of a needle to remove fluid from the tissue that surrounds the heart should be done.
This requires the insertion of a needle through the skin and into the pericardium and through the chest wall, and aspirating fluid.
Often, a cannula is left in place during resuscitation, after initial drainage so that the procedure can be done again if the need occurs.
IV Fluids are given to keep blood pressure normal until the fluid can be drained from around the heart.
Medicines that raise blood pressure may also help maintain the person alive until the fluid is drained.
Oxygen may be given to help decrease the workload on the heart by decreasing tissue demands for blood flow.
Pericardiocentesis (echocardiography-guided being the intervention of choice) is the definitive treatment but may be dangerous and not alleviate symptoms in cases of small effusions linked with constrictive pericarditis such as:
a.Malignancy,
b.Autoimmune conditions and
c.Viral infection.
Hospital Treatment:
1.Oxygen
2.Volume expansion to maintain adequate intravascular volume - small boluses work best
3.Increase venous return: bed rest with leg elevation.
4.Positive inotropic drugs: e.g., dobutamine.
5.Positive-pressure mechanical ventilation should be avoided because it may reduce venous return.
Pericardiodesis: for recurrent pericardial effusion or tamponade creates a pericardial window for a catheter to drain the pericardial fluid.
Pericardio-peritoneal shunt: may help prevent recurrent tamponade

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Cardiac Tamponade
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Pericarditis
Chapter 8 Cardiomyopathy
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940155204985
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	04/07/2018
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	136 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 65. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical conditions seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com. This autobiolographical account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 550 amazon kindle books and some into Smashwords.com eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical conditions. The first chapter of all my ebooks is always taken from my blog A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions which was started in 2007 as a simple educational help to my patients on my first blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. The medical condition was described simply and direct to the point. Because the simple guide as taken from the blog was described as too simple, I have increased the other chapters to include more detailed description of the illness, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As a result there are the complaints by some readers of constant repetitions of the same contents but in detail and fairly up to date. He has published 550 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health conditions and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Bouna Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. All the PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"