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September 18, 2006

Pericardial Effusion

I ran into a dear client of mine last week. When I asked after them, they informed me that they had fluid around their heart. "Well, this is not good," I thought to myself, but I remained calm. I asked what this meant for them--they said it meant that when the bend over to pick something up they cannot breath.

Signs and symptoms of pericardial effusion may include:
* Fluid retention
* Low blood pressure
* Shortness of breath
* Dizziness or fainting
* Chest pain

Causes of pericardial effusion include:
* Infection
* Inflammatory disorders, such as lupus
* Cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the pericardium
* Kidney failure with excessive blood levels of urea nitrogen
* Heart surgery

I thought it meant they were in the beginning stages of congestive heart failure. I'm glad I did some research because now I'm not as frightened about my client's health.

Posted by linda at September 18, 2006 9:26 AM