difference between cardiac tamponade and pericarditis?

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Does anyone see a difference between those two conditons except a different cause?

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

I think with pericarditis - it's inflammation of the pericardium & with cardiac tamponade theres fluid (like blood) that is within the lining of the heart & it prevents the heart from contracting thereby decreasing CO - you would need to remove the blood via pericardiocentesis.... This is off the top of my head...

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I think with pericarditis - it's inflammation of the pericardium & with cardiac tamponade theres fluid (like blood) that is within the lining of the heart & it prevents the heart from contracting thereby decreasing CO - you would need to remove the blood via pericardiocentesis.... This is off the top of my head...

Actually both often need pericardiocentesis,it just drives me nuts how similar those two can be,how can a girl learn patho and not get confused when there are so many similar conditions...:devil: I guess cardiac tamponade is a more serious conditions although both can cause a decreased cardiac output.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

Yea...it's almost like its the same thing but cardiac tamponade seems to just be worse..

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Actually both often need pericardiocentesis,it just drives me nuts how similar those two can be,how can a girl learn patho and not get confused when there are so many similar conditions...:devil: I guess cardiac tamponade is a more serious conditions although both can cause a decreased cardiac output.

Ok off topic but I am just curious, didn't you graduate last year? Why are you just now taking Patho?

Anything cardiac my brain goes to mush LOL.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/Flight.

From my experience, pericarditis can present with either fever or elevated WBC (in addition to other signs and this may not always be the case); but cardiac tamponade shouldn't cause a fever or leukocytosis...it may be the result of whatever's causing the fever though.

Pericarditis also has a friction rub upon auscultation and a tamponade seems to be more muffled and distant to me. maybe someone with more knowledge or a better stethoscope can answer your question more accurately than me!

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Cardiac tamponade occurs when there is such a build-up of excess fluid in the pericardial sac that cardiac output diminishes and the decrease results in hypotension which left untreated can lead to cardiogenic shock and even death.

Pericarditis (an infection) can generate this kind of fluid accumulation in the pericardial sac.

Pericarditis is a cause. Tamponade is the possible effect.

But tamponade can also result from trauma, malignancy, tuberculosis and other conditions, each of which would produce its own distinct clinical findings.

Here is an excellent link that speaks of both conditions in wonderful detail.

Pericarditis and Cardiac Tamponade: eMedicine Emergency Medicine

Hope this helps.

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My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that pericarditis is the inflamation of the pericardium. This is most often caused by infection (although can be caused by trauma, drug reaction or other causes) and if it continues, can progress until the inflammation leads to fluid around the heart which can restrict the the heart from pumping (cardiac tamponade).

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Cardiac tamponade is a definite build up of fluid. There is an approach to relieving that condition, one of which is through drainage by means of a catheter. Pericarditis, is an inflammation of the epicardium that may not have such a severe build up of fluid in that cavity.

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Specializes in icu/er.

both of them basically can exert the same type of sx's on the pt if severe enough, however the etiology of the exact condition may vary (truama,infection,surgical procedures) if severe enough pericarditis can result in a tampanade itself. I have read in some literature that both are usesd in synonymous terms and have actually broken down tampanades into sub categories based on the amount of restriciton and fluid that has been collected to apply pressure on the heart.

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Tamponade is a life threatening condition and will kill you quick without intervention.The heart cannot pump.

Pericarditis is usually not immediately life threatening.

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Ok off topic but I am just curious, didn't you graduate last year? Why are you just now taking Patho?

Anything cardiac my brain goes to mush LOL.

I never had to take Patho in my ADN program,I know sucks,the patho was was thrown into our med-surg classes,a little bit of this and that,but who had time to research patho fully in detail,I know I didnt at all ,between morning clinicals,long hours of reading chapters and preparing for exams there was little time left to do anything,now that I have been jobless for over a month I'm trying to make the best time out of it and brush up my patho skills.Also I'm plannning to go back for my BSN in near future and the university that I'm thinking to apply to has patho I think as their requirements or at least elective LOL,one thing I regret is that my program didnt have a solid patho class,we had micro instead which I thought was less helpful that the pathology course.

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