Brandon Somwaru, DO, PGY-3
Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine
St. Joseph’s University Medical Center
PEARLS
- Pericardial effusions and pericardial tamponade
can be caused by multiple mechanisms (e.g.,
traumatic, infectious, inflammatory, etc.) - Rate is generally more important relative to
volume when evaluating for tamponade - Use POCUS to help distinguish between a
pericardial effusion and true pericardial
tamponade