Cardiac Tamponade

What are the treatments for the condition?

A needle placed into the pericardium can drain the fluid. Sometimes a chest tube is left in place to allow continuous drainage.

What are the side effects of the treatments?

The needle drainage of fluid out of the pericardium is associated with an increased risk of infection and perforation of the wall of the heart or lung.

What happens after treatment for the condition?

After treatment, your doctor will watch you carefully because fluid may build up again. If that happens, the procedure will need to be repeated. The underlying disease must be aggressively treated.

How is the condition monitored?

If the tamponade is caused by a sudden chest trauma and is successfully drained, then the risk of more fluid build-up lessens. Any underlying heart infection must be treated to make sure that fluid does not build up again.