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Cardiac tamponade: Causes, symptoms and treatment

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Cardiac tamponade is a medical emergency in which blood or fluids fill the space between the sac that covers the heart and the heart muscle. This places extreme pressure on the heart. The pressure prevents the heart from expanding fully and functioning properly. Hence the heart can't pump enough blood to the rest of the body, which leads to organ failure, shock, and even death. The symptoms vary with the underlying cause and how fast the tamponade has developed. It may present sub acutely with anxiety, fatigue, altered mental status and edema. Patient can also experience shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and rapid breathing.

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