Cardiovascular · UKMLA & AKT
Pericardial effusion
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise pericardial effusion — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Inflammatory/autoimmune - pericarditis (viral, bacterial, TB), Dressler's syndrome, SLE, rheumatoid arthritis
- Malignancy - metastatic (lung, breast, melanoma most common); often haemorrhagic and haemodynamically significant
- Iatrogenic - post-cardiac surgery, post-coronary angiogram/PCI, pacemaker lead perforation
- Trauma - haemopericardium can develop rapidly even with modest volumes
- Metabolic - hypothyroidism, uraemia, hypoalbuminaemia
Timing is the key discriminator: Dressler's syndrome = 2-6 weeks post-MI; early pericarditis = within 48 hours. Both can cause a pericardial effusion with muffled heart sounds.
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