Treatment of Cardiac Tamponade
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Course Details
Credit/contact hours: .5
Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes
Publication Date: March 14, 2019
Expiration date: March 14, 2025
Reviewed: March 13, 2022
Description:
In patients with a diagnosis of pericardial effusion, especially when accompanied by symptoms or signs of cardiac tamponade, a number of therapeutic interventions are possible. These include emergency stabilization with hydration, avoidance of vasodilators, and potentially pressors. Pericardiocentesis, surgical pericardial windowing, or percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy are potential therapies.
Note: This course is eligible for ACPE credit.
You Will Learn
- To distinguish early emergency therapy for cardiac tamponade from more definitive therapies
- To describe the techniques for pericardiocentesis in the cardiac catheterization laboratory
- To summarize surgical therapies for cardiac tamponade and/or recurrent pericardial effusions
- To review the analysis of fluid removed during treatment of pericardial effusions
Method and medium:
Michael Ragosta III, MD
Dr. Michael Ragosta is an attending cardiologist at the University of Virginia Health System with a sub-specialty in interventional cardiology. His clinical practice includes complex percutaneous coronary intervention, myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, structural heart disease, and general cardiology. Dr. Ragosta is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at UVA and author of numerous textbooks related to cardiac catheterization and hemodynamic interpretation.
DISCLOSURE: This individual reports no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.
