Pericardiocentesis

The procedure is most often done in a special procedure room, such as a cardiac catheterization laboratory. It may also be done at a patient's hospital bedside. A health care provider will put an IV into your arm in case fluids or medicines need to be given through a vein. For example, you may be given medicines if…

You may not be able to eat or drink for 6 hours before the test. You must sign a consent form.

You may feel pressure as the needle enters. Some people have chest pain , which may require pain medicine.

This test may be done to remove and examine fluid that is pressing on the heart. It is most often done to find the cause of a chronic or recurrent pericardial effusion . It may also be done to treat cardiac tamponade , which is a life-threatening condition.

There is normally a small amount of clear, straw-colored fluid in the pericardial space.

Abnormal findings may indicate the cause of pericardial fluid accumulation, such as: Cancer Cardiac perforation Cardiac trauma Congestive heart failure Pericarditis Renal failure Infection Rupture of a ventricular aneurysm

Risks may include: Bleeding Collapsed lung Heart attack Infection (pericarditis) Irregular heartbeats ( arrhythmias ) Puncture of the heart muscle, coronary artery, lung, liver, or stomach Pneumopericardium (air in the pericardial sac)

Hoit BD, Oh JK. Pericardial diseases. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 62. Lewinter MM, Cremer PC, Klein AL. Pericardial diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of…