Hemodynamic Effects of Volume Expansion and Nitroprusside Compared with Pericardiocentesis in Patients with Acute Cardiac Tamponade

Acute cardiac tamponade is a medical emergency that requires urgent therapy. Removal of pericardial fluid by pericardiocentesis or by open surgical drainage is effective,^{1 2 3} but delays may occur while the catheterization laboratory or operating room is being prepared. Alternative methods would be useful as interim therapy, if they were also effective. The time-honored emergency therapy for acute cardiac tamponade is intravascular volume expansion.^{1,2,4 5 6} Vasodilator drugs have also been recommended, especially in combination with volume expansion.^7,8 These recommendations are, however, based on studies in animals.^{7 8 9 10 11} There is a surprising paucity of relevant data on human beings, and this may be important.