Question

Discuss the impact of pericardial inflammation, effusion, & tamponade.

Answer 1

Pericardial inflammation: The region between the two pleural cavities is known as “mediastinum.” The heart is located in the mediastinum and is covered by pericardial membranes of pericardial cavity (visceral i.e. attached to the cavity, and parietal i.e. attached to the organ). The inflammation of pericardial membranes is known as pericarditis, this may occur due to microbial infections, chronic diseases, injury, etc. The patients suffer from difficulty in breathing, pain in the back, fatigue and dry cough.

Pericardial effusion (PE): This is the condition which is mainly due to accumulation of fluids in pericardial cavity (around the heart) either by the pathological condition which can be observed vividly in dogs. PE causes raise in Intra-pericardial pressure, which can cause shortness of breath, muscle pains, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Pericardial tamponade: Pericardial tamponade is also known as cardiac tamponade. The cardiac tamponade is a type of pericardial effusion, which is characterized by the accumulation of fluid, pus, gas or blood clots in the pericardium. This condition adversely affects the cardiac functioning by slowing or increasing the cardiac compression.