American heart journal
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American heart journal · Oct 1999
Correlation between clinical and Doppler echocardiographic findings in patients with moderate and large pericardial effusion: implications for the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade.
Clinical data are of unquestionable value for management purposes in cardiac tamponade, whereas the precise value of Doppler echocardiographic findings is not yet fully understood. We aimed to prospectively assess the correlation between clinical and Doppler echocardiographic signs in the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade in a large series of patients with pericardial effusion. ⋯ There is a good correlation between absence of collapse and absence of tamponade, but the correlation is poor between collapse and tamponade. Abnormal venous flow has a good correlation with clinical features of tamponade, with a higher sensitivity than right ventricular collapse and a much higher specificity than right atrial collapse.
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American heart journal · Oct 1999
Editorial CommentBiplane and multiplane transesophageal echocardiography.