What does this research mean for the field?

Electrical alternans in patients with pericardial effusion strongly suggests impending or established cardiac tamponade and is caused by the heart oscillating within the fluid-filled pericardial sac at specific frequencies relative to the heart rate. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the prevalence, distinctive electrocardiographic patterns, and underlying mechanical origins of electrical alternans in patients with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade.

April 1, 1975ThoraxOpen Access

Electrical alternans in cardiac tamponade.

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Population

9 patients with pericardial effusion due to various causes, of whom 4 developed cardiac tamponade

Design

Case_series

Authors

ANAndreas P. NiarchosCornell University

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Electrical alternans may signal tamponade in pericardial effusion; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation.

Key Points

To evaluate the prevalence, distinctive electrocardiographic patterns, and underlying mechanical origins of electrical alternans in patients with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade.
Assessed 9 patients with pericardial effusion of diverse etiologies for clinical evidence of cardiac tamponade and radiographic signs of fluid accumulation.
Analyzed electrocardiographic recordings across varying heart rates to classify specific mechanical and electrical oscillation ratios within the pericardial sac.
Electrical alternans occurred in all 4 patients who developed cardiac tamponade, manifesting as total alternans in 3 patients and ventricular alternans in 1 patient.
Alternans presented even at heart rates below 100 beats per minute in 2 patients, with novel 2:1, 3:1, and varying electrical patterns identified corresponding to whole-heart oscillation frequencies.

Structured PICO

Population

9 patients with pericardial effusion due to various causes, of whom 4 developed cardiac tamponade

Outcome

Presence and type of electrical alternanssurrogate

Electrical alternans in the setting of pericardial effusion is strongly suggestive of impending or established cardiac tamponade.

Cite This Study

Andreas P. Niarchos (1975) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1bcea327b545b111a90c43 https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.30.2.228

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark