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Heart anatomy
 
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Cardiac tamponade

Alternative names:

pericardial tamponade; tamponade

Symptoms:

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Signs and tests:

There are no specific laboratory tests that diagnose tamponade. However, the heart will sound uncharacteristically faint during examination with a stethoscope (auscultation) . Peripheral pulses may be weak or absent. Neck veins may be distended but the blood pressure may be low. The heart rate may be over 100 (normal is 60 to 100 beats per minute), and breathing may be rapid (faster than 12 breaths in an adult per minute). The blood pressure may fall (pulsus paradoxical) when the person inhales deeply.


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