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