A Guide to Point of Care Ultrasound Examination of a Pericardial Effusion

Authors

Michael Dong, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Frances Mae West, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Jillian Cooper, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Jonathan Foster, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Rebecca Davis, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Abstract

A patient presents with pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, and a recent viral illness. They have no prior cardiac or pulmonary history. Their X-ray on admission demonstrates no pulmonary findings and an enlarged cardiac silhouette, and their EKG is low voltage with electrical alternans. Ultrasound is an effective modality for identifying pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade while at the same time evaluating for other causes, such as heart failure. Often patients with symptomatic pericardial ef fusion present with non-specific symptoms. While a “formal” transthoracic echocardiogram remains the gold standard for diagnosis, a bedside point of care ultrasound (POCUS) cardiac evaluation can significantly decrease the time to diagnosis and trigger an order for an urgent “formal” echocardiogram.¹ A retrospective study by Hanson and Chan in 2021 found that POCUS led to an expedited average time to diagnosis of 5.9 hours compared to >12 hours with other imaging. Those with a symptomatic pericardial effusion identified by POCUS had a significantly decreased time to treatment; time to pericardiocentesis of 28.1 hours compared to > 48 hours with other diagnostic modalities.²

Recommended Citation

Dong, MD, Michael; West, MD, Frances Mae; Cooper, MD, Jillian; Foster, MD, Jonathan; and Davis, MD, Rebecca (2023) "A Guide to Point of Care Ultrasound Examination of a Pericardial Effusion," The Medicine Forum: Vol. 24, Article 14.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29046/TMF.024.1.013
Available at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/tmf/vol24/iss1/14