{"id":2952,"date":"2025-06-12T09:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T17:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nicolekupchikconsulting.com\/news\/?p=2952"},"modified":"2025-07-01T12:52:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T20:52:14","slug":"lets-talk-cardiac-tamponade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nicolekupchikconsulting.com\/news\/lets-talk-cardiac-tamponade\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Talk Cardiac Tamponade!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cardiac tamponade is one of those things that can sneak up on nurses and cause a major problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is cardiac tamponade? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s blood or fluid that fills the pericardial sac around the heart. This can compress the heart and cause hemodynamic instability.  Think decreased filling time and reduction in stroke volume.  If you\u2019ve seen it, you will never forget it because it is an emergency!<\/p>\n\n\n

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How do you know if your patient is experiencing tamponade?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s remember Beck\u2019s triad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Elevated CVP with JVD<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Hypotension (and narrowing of pulse pressure)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Muffled heart sounds<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Clinically, patients more at risk for tamponade are patients post cardiac surgery which makes sense.  However, sometimes patients will spontaneously develop a pericardial effusion (fluid\/blood) from renal failure or malignancy in the pericardial sac. So, always be on the lookout for Beck’s triad.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other signs and symptoms could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n