tamponade physical exam and EKG findings

• related: pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology
• tags: #literature #cardiology

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The patient presents with all of the classic physical examination findings of a large pericardial effusion: hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and elevated jugular venous pressure (Beck triad).

Other examination findings include tachycardia (as a compensatory mechanism to the decreased stroke volume) and pulsus paradoxus (a decrease in systolic BP >10 mm Hg with inspiration). Common ECG findings include low QRS voltage, PR segment depression, electrical alternans (pulsus paradoxus and electrical alternans), and sinus tachycardia.¹²

Links to this note

• pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology
  • tamponade physical exam and EKG findings

Footnotes

1. SEEK Questionnaires ↩

2. Chiabrando JG, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, et al. Management of acute and recurrent pericarditis: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;75(1):76-92. PubMed ↩