Lecture Summary

This session is designed to familiarize providers with details about the spectrum, presentation and treatment of pericardial disease in cancer patients, with an emphasis on the emergency medicine approach. We present the common and rare variants of both pericarditis and pericardial effusion in cancer patients and how these differ from non-cancer related forms of pericardial disease. We review helpful EKG and echocardiographic findings. We show the signs of pericardial tamponade, and indications for urgent and emergent pericardiocentesis. We put forward ways to determine which patients are stable enough to get outpatient pharmacologic treatment/follow-up, and who needs hospitalization. Disposition recommendations are based on European Society of Cardiology guidelines for emergency department pericardial disease, with a few extra suggestions based on other information.

Target Audience

Emergency Medicine Doctors and Nurses
Paramedics
Rural GP’s
Acute Medical Doctors

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

• Recognize and categorize the spectrum of clinical presentations of pericardial disease in cancer
• Use the information presented to formulate a clinical plan for treatment and disposition of emergency patients presenting with cancer-related pericarditis or pericardial effusion
• Select those patients who will need urgent or emergent pericardiocentesis

Pericardial Disease and Effusion in Cancer: Part 1

A review

Emergency Medicine / Cancer