A cardiac tamponade is when blood or other fluids expand the sac that typically retains the heart’s content. As a consequence of the pressure, your heart’s capacity to pump blood will be impaired, which will have the effect of reducing your blood pressure. Both disease and trauma have the potential to bring on a cardiac tamponade. If it is not addressed properly, it can often be fatal. You can visit a Cardiologist Doctors for a proper assessment and evaluation. The best Cardiologists at Brooklyn are available to address this kind of disease and emergency.
Causes
A rupture or puncture in the pericardium, a sac that covers and surrounds the heart and has thin, double walls, is the most frequent cause of cardiac tamponade. Your heart muscle will become compressed whenever there is a sufficient amount of blood or other physiological fluids collecting in the region around your heart. The ability of the heart to accept blood is impaired whenever there is a greater volume of fluid surrounding it. Because of this, fewer blood cells that need oxygen will be delivered to the rest of your body. The heart and other organs rely on blood for healthy operations, therefore cutting off blood supply to them can cause shock, organ failure, and ultimately cardiac arrest.
Several different conditions can lead to cardiac tamponade. These are the following:
● Aortic dissection (rupture of the aorta wall)
● Tuberculosis (TB)
● Autoimmune disorder which includes lupus, aortic aneurysm rupture cancer
● A cardiac arrest
● A serious chest wound
● Failing kidneys
● Pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium)
● Disease caused by bacteria
● Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
Symptoms
As a result of cardiac tamponade, the heart is unable to adequately supply the body with blood. Because of this disruption in blood flow, patients may experience symptoms including chest discomfort and dizziness.
Beck’s triad refers to the traditional three symptoms of cardiac tamponade, and they include:
● Heart sounds that are muffled
● Distended veins in the neck might cause swelling or bulging
● A condition characterized by abnormally low blood pressure in the arteries
However, cardiac tamponade is not always accompanied by the symptoms of Beck’s triad; therefore, the lack of these symptoms does not provide irrefutable proof that the illness is not present.
The following symptoms may also be experienced by those who have cardiac tamponade:
● A fast heartbeat
● bluish, cool-to-the-touch skin
● Weak pulse
● Confused or Agitated
● Fatigue
● Swelling of the legs or abdomen
● Shortness of breath
● Dizziness
● Anxiety and being restless
● Fainting
Diagnosis
Cardiac tamponade can be diagnosed using a number of distinct techniques. However, when it happens quickly, some diagnostics are somewhat more likely to be used because they can provide a quick diagnosis.
The most typical techniques employed by medical professionals to recognize cardiac tamponade are as follows:
● During the physical examination, your vital signs, such as blood pressure, cardiac rate, and respiratory rate, will be checked and observed. The vital signs should be monitored. Your doctor will also conduct a physical examination by listening to your heart and lungs. Because of the potential condition known as pulsus paradoxus, in which your blood pressure lowers at an odd rate with each breath you take, clinicians may spend more time than normal when taking blood pressure to closely monitor the irregularities of the heart.
● A computed tomography (CT) scan is a state-of-the-art imaging procedure used to investigate cardiac and vascular issues by combining X-ray and computer technologies.
● An echocardiogram can be performed using ultrasound waves to examine the heart and chest. A portable echocardiography machine can be transported to your hospital bedside in the event of an emergency.
● A patient’s electrical cardiac activity is recorded by electrodes put on their chest during an electrocardiogram (ECG).
● As a diagnostic procedure, cardiac catheterization involves threading a tiny, flexible tube called a catheter through an artery to the heart.
● Fluid accumulation around the heart can be seen on an X-ray of the chest.
The Heart Doctor Brooklyn may request an examination of the patient’s blood cell, platelet, and hematocrit levels and inflammatory marker concentration in the blood. Other probable tests will include blood tests that have the potential to pick
up elevated levels of particular enzymes that are produced by the body as a response to damage sustained by the heart muscle.
Treatment
In order to relieve fluid buildup and cardiac stress, a doctor may recommend one or more of the following procedures:
● Surgeons perform a procedure called a pericardiectomy, in which they remove a portion of the pericardium from the chest in order to relieve strain on the heart.
● During pericardiocentesis, a needle is used to remove fluid from the pericardium surrounding the heart.
● A thoracotomy (an incision across the chest) is performed in order to drain fluids and clots from the chest.
Pericardiocentesis and other minimally invasive procedures ought to be the first line of defense when it comes to treating cardiac diseases. These options have lower rates of death and complications and offer generally less risk to the patient.
However, if the cardiac tamponade has progressed to a more dangerous degree, surgical intervention, such as a thoracotomy, is typically required in order to treat the condition.
As the patient makes their way back from the operation, to alleviate the strain on the heart, they may be given the following:
● Medication to raise blood pressure
● Intravenous fluids that maintain blood pressure
● Blood oxygen replacement products may be administered.
Once the patient’s condition has stabilized, the clinician needs to determine the underlying cause of the cardiac tamponade and treat it in order to prevent any further complications from occurring.
The underlying cause must first be determined in order to properly diagnose and treat cardiac tamponade.
If you are feeling any of the signs and symptoms to your heart that need serious medical attention, you can seek help from our Best Cardiologist Brooklyn at Doral Health and Wellness. Cardiac Tamponade is a serious condition that needs medical urgent attention. To reach out to Doral Health and Wellness, you can take a bus, train, or skyway to locate the area. The address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212. Please book an appointment with us at 347-868-1012.