Key result
Computed tomography of the chest successfully diagnosed a localised pericardial tamponade causing low cardiac output after coronary artery bypass grafting when transthoracic echocardiography was inconclusive.
Case Report (n=1)
No
In post-cardiac surgery patients with low cardiac output and inconclusive echocardiography, a non-contrast chest CT scan can successfully identify localized pericardial tamponade.
May warrant chest CT in post-CABG low-output states with inconclusive TTE; leaves open need for prospective validation.
In a normovolemic patient, low cardiac output after cardiac surgery may be a result of myocardial ischaemia and/or pericardial tamponade. However, without any objective evidence of ischaemia alongwith no signs of pericardial tamponade or regional wall motion abnormality on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), the diagnosis remains ambiguous. Computed tomography (CT scan) of the chest may be helpful to reveal pericardial tamponade.
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Vohra et al. (2007) conducted a case report in Localised pericardial tamponade (n=1). Computed tomography (CT scan) vs. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was evaluated on Diagnosis of localised pericardial tamponade. Computed tomography of the chest successfully diagnosed a localised pericardial tamponade causing low cardiac output after coronary artery bypass grafting when transthoracic echocardiography was inconclusive.
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