A life-threatening
situation in which there is such
a
large amount of fluid (usually blood) inside the
pericardial sac around the
heart that it interferes with the performance of the heart.
The end result,
if
untreated, is low blood pressure, shock and death. The
excess fluid in the
pericardial sac acts to compress and constrict the heart.
The word
"tamponade"
is direct from the French. The French verb "tamponner"
means to plug up
and,
also, to smash into. Here the outpouring of fluid within
the pericardial sac
is, so to speak, smashing into the heart. Pericardial
tamponade can be due
to
excessive pericardial fluid, a wound to the heart, or
rupture of the heart.
Also called cardiac tamponade.
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