Abstract
An acute haemopericardium due to central venous catheter (CVC) insertion can be catastrophic if not recognised promptly. In the tight confines of the pericardial sac, the haemopericardium, coupled with the rare presentation of a rapidly enlarging pericardial thrombus, can propel a hitherto reversible event into an irreversible one. In the highly possible event of cardiac arrest, with the massive thrombus compressing the right ventricle, the chance of attaining return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is dim due to ineffective ventricular re-filling during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the presence of a thrombus, pericardiocentesis will be futile. Furthermore, the likelihood of re-occurrence of cardiac arrest is relatively high even if ROSC is attained. We report a case of rapidly-growing pericardial thrombus in a post-cardiac arrest patient with acute haemopericardium following CVC insertion. Timely recognition of enlarging pericardial clots causing pericardial tamponade, with the aid of point-of-care-ultrasonography, is crucial, and emergency pericardiotomy improves the failure-to-rescue index in such patients.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Journal of Onco-Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.