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Pericardial Drainage

(continued)

Risks continued...

If the needle touches your heart, you may have an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), but the irregularity usually stops when the needle is removed. In rare cases, this type of arrhythmia can cause death. There is also a slight chance of spreading infection from the skin to the pericardial space when the needle is inserted.

After the test

After leaving the hospital, call911or other emergency services immediately if you have:

Chest pain or symptoms of a heart attack.
Moderate to severe trouble breathing.
Signs of shock.

Call your doctor immediately if you:

Vomit blood.
Have a fever.
Are short of breath.
Feel dizzy.
Have lower-than-normal blood pressure.

Results

Pericardial drainage (pericardiocentesis) is done to find the cause of fluid buildup around the heart and to relieve pressure on the heart. The excess fluid removed during the pericardial drainage will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Some results will be available within hours, while others may take days or weeks.

**Pericardial drainage**
Normal:	No bacteria, red blood cells, or cancer cells are present in the pericardial fluid.
	No white blood cells (WBCs) are in pericardial fluid.
	The pericardial fluid is clear or pale yellow.
	Sugar (glucose) is present, but in amounts similar to that found in the blood.
	There is less than 50 mL (2 fl oz) of fluid in the pericardial sac.
Abnormal:	The pericardial fluid contains blood, bacteria, or cancer cells.
	White blood cells are in the pericardial fluid.
	The pericardial fluid looks cloudy.
	There is more than 50 mL (2 fl oz) of fluid in the pericardial sac.

Abnormal values

A buildup of pericardial fluid may be caused by:

Swelling (inflammation) of the sac that surrounds the heart (pericarditis).
Infection from a virus, bacteria (such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis), or fungi. Viruses are a common cause of pericarditis.
Other diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, kidney failure, or hypothyroidism.
Blood, which may be present after a heart attack with possible rupture of the heart muscle, a dissecting aortic aneurysm, recent surgery, injury, or cancer.

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

Recent use of antibiotics.
You have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood thinners (anticoagulants).

What To Think About

In some cases, a small sample of tissue may be removed and examined under a microscope (biopsy) to identify certain diseases of the pericardium. This surgery will be done under general anesthesia.
An echocardiogram may be done at the same time as pericardial drainage. For more information, see the topic Echocardiogram.

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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: June 30, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.