• Jiashan Chen, Jen-Tang Sun, Chieh-Min Fan, Kuang-Chau Tsai, and Chih-Jung Chang.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
• J Emerg Med. 2020 Aug 1; 59 (2): 291-293.

BackgroundCardiac tamponade is a life-threatening disease with a high mortality rate. Its clinical manifestations depend on the length of time over which pericardial effusion accumulates. Among those, hiccups are rarely reported.Case ReportWe present a 48-year-old man who came in with a chief complaint of persistent hiccups and later had hypotension and dyspnea at the emergency department. Electrocardiogram revealed diffuse ST elevation with mildly elevated cardiac enzymes. Echocardiography showed massive pericardial effusion, implying cardiac tamponade. Catheter pericardiocentesis was performed and massive pericardial effusion was drained. Hiccups subsided after the procedure and the patient recovered uneventfully. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of cardiac tamponade with the presenting manifestation of persistent hiccups. Emergency physicians should stay vigilant when approaching those patients with unexplainable prolonged hiccups.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

16 keywords...

hide…