Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1993 14(2):230-234;
Copyright © 1993 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BEPPU, S.
Right arrow Articles by MIYATAKE, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BEPPU, S.
Right arrow Articles by MIYATAKE, K.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1993 The European Society of Cardiology

Pericardial clot after open heart surgery: its specific localization and haemodynamics

S. BEPPU, N. TANAKA, S. NAKATANI, K. IKEGAMI, K. KUMON and K. MIYATAKE

National Cardiovascular Center, Research Institute and Hospital Suita, Osaka, Japan

Received 3 January 1992; revised 29 May 1992; .

Correspondence: Shintaro Beppu, MD. National Cardiovascular Center. Research Institute, 5-7-1, Fujishirodai, Suits, Osaka 565, Japan

Abstract

Transoesophageal echocardiography disclosed a localized pericardial blood clot compressing the right atrium (RA) and/or right ventricle (RV) in 15 patients suffering from low cardiac output failure soon after open-heart surgery. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was small (38.4 ± 10.1 mm) and its fractional shortening normal (34.9 ± 10.2%). These findings suggested cardiac tamponade as a result of pericardial clot. However, the ‘y’ trough of the RA pressure tracing was prominent, which is not characteristic of typical cardiac tamponade, but rather of constrictive pericarditis. This implies therefore that the pathophysiology of cardiac tamponade by pericardial clot differs from that of tamponade by fluid. Emergency open-chest removal of the pericardial clot was performed in seven patients, with good results. Pericardial clot produces low cardiac output soon after open-heart surgery, but its location is specific and its haemodynamics are not characteristic of cardiac tamponade.

Key Words: Cardiac tamponade • echocardiography • heart surgery • pericardium


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann.Home page
H. Wasir, S. Mittal, Y. Mishra, Y. Mehta, and N. Trehan
Site-Specific Detection of Bleeder Using Transesophageal Echocardiography
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, December 1, 2005; 13(4): 366 - 368.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann.Home page
H. Wasir, Y. Mehta, Y. K Mishra, S. Shrivastava, S. Mittal, and N. Trehan
Transesophageal Echocardiography in Hypotensive Post-Coronary Bypass Patients
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, June 1, 2003; 11(2): 139 - 142.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J. T. Kuvin, N. A. Harati, N. G. Pandian, R. M. Bojar, and K. R. Khabbaz
Postoperative cardiac tamponade in the modern surgical era
Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2002; 74(4): 1148 - 1153.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.