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- A Bastian, A Meissner, M Lins, E G Siegel, F Möller, and R Simon.
- Department of Internal Medicine, 1st Medizinische Klinik, Kiel, Germany.
- Intensive Care Med. 2000 May 1;26(5):572-6.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the risk and effectiveness of pericardiocentesis in primary and repeat cardiac tamponade.DesignRetrospective analysis.SettingIntensive care unit in a medical university hospital.PatientsSixty-three consecutively admitted patients with cardiac tamponade.InterventionsIn all patients pericardiocentesis was performed via the subxiphoid pathway after echocardiographic detection of the pericardial effusion.Measurements And ResultsThere was no adverse event in patients undergoing primary pericardiocentesis, which was sufficient to resolve pericardial effusion in 51 of 63 patients (81%). However, repeat pericardiocentesis necessitated by the recurrence of symptomatic pericardial effusion yielded suboptimal results in 10 of 12 patients (83%).ConclusionPericardiocentesis is the treatment of choice for primary symptomatic pericardial effusion. In recurrent pericardial effusion surgical approaches appear to be preferable.
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