PERICARDIOCENTESIS

Course overview

PERICARDIOCENTESIS IS A PROCEDURE PERFORMED TO REMOVE EXCESS FLUID FROM THE PERICARDIAL SAC THAT SURROUNDS THE MYOCARDIUM. THE PROCEDURE IS FREQUENTLY PERFORMED IN CARDIAC TAMPONADE TO CORRECT HYPOTENSION CAUSED BY A DECREASED STROKE VOLUME RESULTING FROM EXTRINSIC COMPRESSION OF THE HEART CHAMBERS BY THE EXCESS FLUID IN THE PERICARDIAL SPACE. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF PROCEDURAL COMPLICATIONS, PERICARDIOCENTESIS MAY BE PERFORMED USING ONE OF SEVERAL APPROACHES, WITH OR WITHOUT REAL-TIME IMAGING ADJUNCTS SUCH AS TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OR FLUOROSCOPY. THE PROCEDURE MAY BE PERFORMED AT THE BEDSIDE OR IN THE CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAB. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUES FOR PERFORMING PERICARDIOCENTESIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ACUTE OR CHRONIC PERICARDIAL EFFUSION WHO UNDERGO PERICARDIOCENTESIS.