ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Arom, K. V.
Right arrow Articles by Trinkle, J. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Arom, K. V.
Right arrow Articles by Trinkle, J. K.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 23, 545-549, Copyright © 1977 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

ARTICLES

Subxiphoid pericardial window in patients with suspected traumatic pericardial tamponade

KV Arom, JD Richardson, G Webb, FL Grover and JK Trinkle

The technique, indications, and results of subxiphoid pericardial window in penetrating chest wounds with suspected traumatic pericardial tamponade are reported. The classic signs of pericardial tamponade (elevated central venous pressure, muffled heart sounds, and paradoxical pulse) are unreliable in an emergency situation. Chest roentgenograms and electrocardiograms are of little diagnostic value. Pericardicentesis was either falsely positive or negative in 50% of our patients. Therefore, unexplained high central venous pressure and hypotension were considered to be pericardial tamponade until disproved by the results of a subxiphoid pericardial window. There were 4 negative and 46 positive findings of tamponade in 50 consecutive patients with suspected traumatic pericardial tamponade who underwent creation of a subxiphoid pericardial window. There were no deaths or complications from the procedures. The early use of subxiphoid pericardial window has been a major factor in reducing our mortality rate from penetrating heart wounds to 12% overall, and 8% in the past three years.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
D. G. Harris, K. A. Papagiannopoulos, J. Pretorius, T. Van Rooyen, and G. J. Rossouw
Current evaluation of cardiac stab wounds
Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 1999; 68(6): 2119 - 2122.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1977 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.