page_title: Cardiac tamponade
section_title: Pathophysiology
hierarchical_section_title: Cardiac tamponade / Pathophysiology
caption_attribution_description: English: Cardiac Tamponade. This image was donated by Blausen Medical. Please visit our website to see more medical illustrations and animations.
context_page_description: Cardiac tamponade, also known as pericardial tamponade, is when fluid in the pericardium builds up, resulting in compression of the heart. Onset may be rapid or gradual. Symptoms typically include those of cardiogenic shock including shortness of breath, weakness, lightheadedness, and cough. Other symptoms may relate to the underlying cause.
  Common causes of cardiac tamponade include cancer, kidney failure, chest trauma, myocardial infarction, and pericarditis. Other causes include connective tissues diseases, hypothyroidism, aortic rupture, autoimmune disease, and complications of cardiac surgery. In Africa, tuberculosis is a relatively common cause.
  Diagnosis may be suspected based on low blood pressure, jugular venous distension, or quiet heart sounds. A pericardial rub may be present in cases due to inflammation. The diagnosis may be further supported by specific electrocardiogram changes, chest X-ray, or an ultrasound of the heart. If fluid increases slowly the pericardial sac can expand to contain more than 2 liters; however, if the increase is rapid, as little as 200 mL can result in tamponade.
  Tamponade is a medical emergency.
context_section_description: The outer layer of the heart is made of fibrous tissue which does not easily stretch, so once fluid begins to enter the pericardial space, pressure starts to increase.
  If fluid continues to accumulate, each successive diastolic period leads to less blood entering the ventricles. Eventually, increasing pressure on the heart forces the septum to bend in towards the left ventricle, leading to a decrease in stroke volume. This causes the development of obstructive shock, which if left untreated may lead to cardiac arrest (often presenting as pulseless electrical activity).
caption: Hemopericardium, wherein the pericardium becomes filled with blood, is one cause of cardiac tamponade.
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