Project description:Context:Cardiac tamponade (CT) following cardiac surgery is a potentially fatal complication and the cause of surgical reintervention in 0.1%-6% of cases. There are two types of CT: acute, occurring within the first 48 h postoperatively, and subacute or delayed, which occurs more than 48 h postoperatively. The latter does not show specific clinical signs, which makes it more difficult to diagnose. The factors associated with acute CT (aCT) are related to coagulopathy or surgical bleeding, while the variables associated with subacute tamponade have not been well defined. Aims:The primary objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the development of subacute CT (sCT). Settings and Design:This report describes a case (n = 80) and control (n = 160) study nested in a historic cohort made up of adult patients who underwent any type of urgent or elective cardiac surgery in a tertiary cardiovascular hospital. Methods: The occurrence of sCT was defined as the presence of a compatible clinical picture, pericardial effusion and confirmation of cardiac tamponade during the required emergency intervention at any point between 48 hours and 30 days after surgery. All factors potentially related to the development of sCT were taken into account. Statistical Analysis Used:For the adjusted analysis, a logistical regression was constructed with 55 variables, including pre-, intra-, and post-operative data. Results:The mortality of patients with sCT was 11% versus 0% in the controls. Five variables were identified as independently and significantly associated with the outcome: pre- or post-operative anticoagulation, reintervention in the first 48 h, surgery other than coronary artery bypass graft, and red blood cell transfusion. Conclusions:Our study identified five variables associated with sCT and established that this complication has a high mortality rate. These findings may allow the implementation of standardized follow-up measures for patients identified as higher risk, leading to either early detection or prevention.
Project description:Rivaroxaban is a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) approved as an important alternative to warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. We report the case of an 87-year-old man with past medical history of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation on rivaroxaban and recently started amiodarone for pulseless ventricular tachycardia who presented to our hospital with intermittent chest pain and was diagnosed with spontaneous hemopericardium causing cardiac tamponade. The culprit drugs were discontinued, and the patient was treated with emergent pericardiocentesis. Both rivaroxaban and amiodarone are substrates for the CYP3A4 hepatic pathway, and concomitant use can result in increased plasma rivaroxaban levels causing an increased propensity to bleeding. While most physicians are cognizant of the need for renal dosing of rivaroxaban, this article aims to increase awareness of its interactions with drugs that are also metabolized through the same hepatic CYP450 pathway.
Project description:IntroductionCardiac tamponade is an uncommon presentation to the pediatric emergency department and requires early recognition and emergent intervention.MethodsWe developed this patient simulation case to simulate a low-frequency, high-acuity scenario for pediatric emergency medicine fellows and resident physicians in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. We ran the case in a pediatric emergency department using a high-fidelity pediatric mannequin and equipment found in the clinical environment, including a bedside ultrasound machine. The case involved a 10-year-old patient with Hodgkin lymphoma who presented with fever, neutropenia, and shock and was found to have a pericardial effusion with tamponade after evaluation. The providers were expected to identify signs and symptoms of shock, as well as cardiac tamponade, and demonstrate appropriate emergent evaluation and management. Required personnel included a simulation technician, instructors, and a nurse. Debriefing tools tailored specifically for this scenario were created to facilitate a formal debriefing and formative learner assessment at the end of the simulation.ResultsThis case has been implemented with 10 pediatric emergency medicine fellows during two 3-year cycles of fellow education. Session feedback reflected a high level of satisfaction with the case and an increased awareness of bedside ultrasound in the identification of cardiac tamponade.DiscussionThis resource for teaching the critical components for diagnosing and managing unstable cardiac tamponade in the pediatric patient, including use of bedside ultrasound, was well received by pediatric emergency medicine fellows.
Project description:IntroductionCardiac tamponade is a rare but life-threatening complication during atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation. Contact force (CF)-sensing catheters improve ablation effectiveness. However, the impact of the application of CF-sensing catheters on the occurrence of cardiac tamponade remains unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the "real-world" impact of CF-sensing catheters on cardiac tamponade during AF ablation in an experienced medical center.Methods and resultsThis was a retrospective study of consecutive de novo AF ablation procedures at Beijing Anzhen Hospital between 2013 and 2016. The ablation procedure was divided into a CF group and a non-CF group. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the use of CF-sensing catheters and the risk of cardiac tamponade. A total of 5313 patients with AF were involved in this study. The incidence of cardiac tamponade in the CF group was significantly higher than that in the non-CF group (1.07% vs. 0.44%, P = 0.009). Of the cardiac tamponade cases in the non-CF group, 45.45% were delayed compared with 10% in the CF group (P = 0.011). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CF-sensing catheters increased the risk of cardiac tamponade (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.17-4.26, P = 0.015). Stratified analysis revealed patients with a smaller left atrium dimension, lower ejection fraction, longer procedure duration, or longer ablation duration had a greater risk of cardiac tamponade during ablation with CF-sensing catheters.ConclusionsCF-sensing catheters increase the risk of cardiac tamponade during AF ablation.
Project description:Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical presentation ranges from chest pain alone to ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, and sudden death. The treatment of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection is challenging because the disease pathophysiology is unclear, optimal treatment is unknown, and short- and long-term prognostic data are minimal. We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with an acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction secondary to a spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery. She was treated conservatively. Cardiac tamponade developed 16 hours after presentation. Repeat coronary angiography revealed extension of the dissection. Medical therapy was continued after the hemopericardium was aspirated. The patient remained asymptomatic 3 years after hospital discharge. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous coronary artery dissection in association with cardiac tamponade that was treated conservatively and had a successful outcome.
Project description:Graphical abstract Highlights • Cardiac masses are a rare but important finding requiring detailed investigation.• Echocardiography is a first-line imaging modality.• CT and MRI together allow precise structural and tissue characterization.• Surgical removal is a potentially curative treatment for cardiac hydatid cysts.