Abstract
Cardiac tamponade is an emergent, life-threatening cause of shock and cardiac arrest. Early recognition is crucial but difficult without ultrasound. Pericardiocentesis is a fast, temporizing measure to address life-threatening cardiac tamponade until a patient can reach definitive care. Pericardiocentesis is best-performed with ultrasound guidance to minimize complications and maximize procedural success. Pericardiocentesis with active ultrasound guidance is preferred to static or blind performance. Clinically significant pericardial effusions are best visualized via the parasternal long axis and subxiphoid views. Procedural steps include equipment and skin preparation, ultrasound visualization to confirm pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology, needle insertion, drainage via syringe, and stabilization and dressing of the catheter for access in case of required repeat drainage.
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Louka, S.K. (2021). Pericardiocentesis. In: Nicholson, B.D., Vitto, M.J., Dhindsa, H.S. (eds) Manual of Austere and Prehospital Ultrasound. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64287-7_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64287-7_20
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