scholarly journals Life-threatening Development of Cardiac Tamponade in the Span of 24 Hours

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Kishi ◽  
Thaer Ahmad ◽  
Kenneth Dodd

Cardiac tamponade is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Caused by the development of fluid in the pericardial space, it can result in a severe decrease in cardiac output. When encountering patients with severe hypotension and tachycardia, emergency physicians must always consider the diagnosis of tamponade to facilitate prompt and effective treatment and stabilization. We report our experience with a patient who developed life-threatening cardiac tamponade within a span of less than 24 hours.

ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 1575-1580
Author(s):  
Arsen D. Ristić ◽  
Petar M. Seferović ◽  
Bernhard Maisch ◽  
Vladimir Kanjuh

Cardiac tamponade is a pericardial syndrome characterized by compression of the heart by the exudate accumulating within the pericardial space and impairing diastolic filling and cardiac output. Pericardial diseases of any aetiology but also haemorrhage during interventional procedures may cause tamponade. If pericardial effusion accumulates slowly, 2000 mL or more could be tolerated (unless precipitated by dehydration, loop diuretics, vasodilators, anticoagulants, or thrombolytics), but acute accumulation of more than 250 mL is fatal.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Dumitru Moldovan ◽  
Noémi Bara ◽  
Valentin Nădășan ◽  
Gabriella Gábos ◽  
Enikő Mihály

Emergency department (ED) physicians frequently encounter patients presenting with angioedema. Most of these involve histamine-mediated angioedema; however, less common forms of angioedema (bradykinin-mediated) also occur. It is vital physicians correctly recognize and treat this; particularly since bradykinin-mediated angioedema does not respond to antihistamines, corticosteroids or epinephrine and hereditary angioedema (HAE) laryngeal attacks can be fatal. Here we present four case reports illustrating how failures in recognizing, managing, and treating laryngeal edema due to HAE led to asphyxiation and death of the patient. Recognition of the specific type of angioedema is critical for rapid and effective treatment of HAE attacks. Bradykinin-mediated angioedema should be efficiently differentiated from the most common histamine-mediated form. Improved awareness of HAE and the associated risk of life-threatening laryngeal edema among emergency physicians, patients, and relatives and clear ED treatment protocols are warranted. Moreover, appropriate treatments should be readily available to reduce fatalities associated with laryngeal edema.


Author(s):  
Mafalda Sá Pereira ◽  
Raquel Freitas ◽  
Pedro Correia Azevedo

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening medical emergency and can arise in many clinical situations. We present the case of a 59-year-old man with adrenoleukodystrophy and Addison’s disease who was admitted to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain that turned out to be cardiac tamponade of unknown aetiology.  An association between cardiac tamponade and Addison’s disease has been reported in the literature, so this aetiology should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with unexplained cardiac tamponade.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Ji Chao Zhang ◽  
Rong Xing Liu ◽  
Qi Miao

A 21-year-old man presented initially with impending cardiac tamponade secondary to an angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). Following unsuccessful pericardiocentesis and subxiphoid pericardiostomy, the patient’s deteriorating hemodynamics prompted an urgent sternotomy. Histopathological diagnosis confirmed AITL. While chemotherapy remains the most effective treatment of AITL, life-threatening complications of the tumor necessitates surgical intervention.


Author(s):  
Emre Özlüer ◽  
Çagaç Yetis ◽  
Evrim Sayin ◽  
Mücahit Avcil

Gynecological malignancies may present as life-threatening vaginal bleeding. Pelvic packing and Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) may be useful along with conventional vaginal packing when in terms of control of the hemorrhage. Emergency physicians should be able to perform these interventions promptly in order to save their patients from exsanguination.


Author(s):  
Veronica Ojetti ◽  
Angela Saviano ◽  
Mattia Brigida ◽  
Luisa Saviano ◽  
Alessio Migneco ◽  
...  

Background : Major bleeding is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency with high mortality risk. It is often the complication of anticoagulant’s intake. Anticoagulants are commonly used for the prevention and the treatment of thrombotic events. The standard therapy with vitamin K antagonist (warfarin) has been frequently replaced by direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The latter agents (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, dabigatran, betrixaban) showed a better efficacy and safety compared to standard warfarin treatment and they are recommended for the reduction of ischemic stroke. Literature data reported a high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with DOACs, in particular with dabigatran and rivaroxaban. In case of life-threatening gastrointestinal bleeding, these patients could benefit from the use of reversal agents. Methods: We performed an electronic search on PUBMED of the literature concerning reversal agents for DOACs and gastrointestinal bleeding in the Emergency Department from 2004 to 2020. AIM: This review summarizes the current evidences about three reversal agents idarucizumab, andexanet alfa and ciraparantag, and the use of the first two in the emergency setting in patients with an active major bleeding or who need urgent surgery to offer physicians indications for a better management approach in order to increase patient’s safety. Conclusion: Although these agents have been marketed for five years (idarucizumab) and two years (andexanet alfa) respectively, and despite guidelines considering antidotes as first-line agents in treating life-threatening hemorrhage when available, these antidotes seem to gain access very slowly in the clinical practice. Cost, logistical aspects and need for plasma level determination of DOAC for an accurate therapeutic use probably have an impact on this phenomenon.. An expert multidisciplinary bleeding team should be established so as to implement international guidelines based on local resources and organization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 564-567
Author(s):  
Qiancheng Xu ◽  
Yingya Cao ◽  
Hongzhen Yin ◽  
Rongrong Wu ◽  
Tao Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractA 23-year-old female patient was referred for treatment of a posterior mediastinal tumour. There was no history of hypertension or headache and no other complaints. The patient’s blood pressure increased to 210/125 mmHg after surgically manipulating the tumour, subsequently reversing to severe hypotension (25/15 mmHg) immediately after the tumour was removed. The life-threatening and irreversible blood pressure drop was difficult to treat with fluid and vasopressors, and the patient ultimately died of cardio-respiratory failure. Asymptomatic paraganglioma can be non-functional but can also be fatal. For any lump in the thoracic cavity, paraganglioma should be ruled out.


Lupus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 096120332110047
Author(s):  
Muming Yu ◽  
Yulei Gao ◽  
Heng Jin ◽  
Songtao Shou

Acute pericardial tamponade, which can cause obstructive shock, is a serious life-threatening medical emergency that can be readily reversed by timely identification and appropriate intervention. Acute pericardial tamponade can occur for a number of reasons, including idiopathic, malignancy, uremia, iatrogenic, post-myocardial infarction, infection, collagen vascular, hypothyroidism, and others. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hyperthyroidism associated with pericardial tamponade are rarely reported. Here, we report the case of a 20-year-old female patient was final diagnosed of SLE with Graves’ hyperthyroidism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Fabián Moscoso Martínez ◽  
Evelyn Carolina Polanco Jácome ◽  
Elizabeth Guevara ◽  
Vijay Mattoo

The clinical presentation of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is not specific. Many patients can be asymptomatic and can be detected only due to an abnormal complete blood cell count (CBC) on routine exam or for other reasons while others can be symptomatic as a consequence of underlying cytopenias. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) usually is suspected under the evidence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) and thrombocytopenia and because it is a life-threatening condition (medical emergency) immediate initiation of plasmapheresis could be life-saving. The following case illustrates an unusual presentation of MDS in a patient who came in to the emergency room with the classic TTP “pentad” of fever, renal involvement, MAHA, mental status changes, and thrombocytopenia. We will focus our discussion in the clinical presentation of this case.


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