Cardiac tamponade after thrombolysis.

Thrombolysis has been very effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality from acute myocardial infarction. Serious adverse events are not uncommon, however. We describe a case in which a haemopericardium and tamponade developed in a patient with a history of recurrent idiopathic pericarditis and to whom streptokinase had been administered following a suspected myocardial infarction. The case highlights the need for caution in the administration of thrombolytics to patients with a documented history of pericarditis.     

Cardiac tamponade in rheumatoid arthritis

A 56-year-old woman with definite rheumatoid arthritis developed cardiac tamponade while her disease was both clinically and serologically inactive. To our knowledge such a complication has been reported only once previously.     

Cardiac tamponade complicating central venous catheter

Cardiac tamponade complicating central venous catheters is usually fatal. We present a 23 year old woman who developed cardiac tamponade 12 hours after the insertion of a subclavian line. Early recognition of this complication and urgent pericardiocentesis led to her survival.     

Cardiac tamponade and acute renal failure following Salmonella agona pericarditis.

A 19-year-old female presented with cardiac tamponade complicated by acute renal failure. Salmonella agona was cultured from pericardial aspirate after repeated pericardiocentesis in several sites. Treatment with ampicillin and intermittent haemodialysis led to complete recovery.     

心导管术所致心脏压塞

目的:探讨心导管检查术及心脏介入术中发生心脏穿孔、心脏压塞的原因及紧急处理的方式和效果.方法:回顾性分析1986年1月至2009年12月在中南大学湘雅二医院心导管室接受诊断性心导管检查术或各种心脏介入术共23 319例患者的资料.结果:在23 319例各种心导管术中,共有22例(0.094%)发生急性心脏压塞.其分布情...     

Cardiac tamponade complicating leukaemia: immediate chemotherapy or pericardiocentesis?

Although leukaemic infiltration of the pericardium is frequently observed at post-mortem, clinically evident cardiac tamponade is rare. Two cases of cardiac tamponade complicating leukaemia are presented. One patient had cardiac tamponade as the initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and experienced complete resolution of the pericardial effusion within 6 days after chemotherapy without therapeutic pericardiocentesis. The other patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia developed cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis as the first sign of acute blastic transformation. The roles of early chemotherapy and pericardiocentesis in managing this complication are discussed.     

Cardiac tamponade complicating a case of fever of unknown origin

A 16-year-old male was transferred to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) after 17 days of fever of unknown origin. An echocardiogram revealed a small pericardial effusion only. Serial echocardiography demonstrated an increased size of this effusion with collapse of the right atrium during diastole. A subxiphoid open pericardiostomy was performed to relieve the impending tamponade and to assist in the diagnosis of his fever. The diagnostic criteria for cardiac tamponade are discussed.