Beck's triad is a symptom complex seen in cardiac tamponade. What are the symptoms of Beck's triad? What are the reasons for their appearance?
Beck's triadis one of the most characteristic symptoms of cardiac tamponade. Cardiac tamponade is a very serious condition, often life-threatening. Normally around the heart - there is a small amount of fluid in the pericardium, this ensures its proper work.
Due to various factors, the amount of this fluid increases, if it happens quickly or there is a lot of it, it is a cardiac tamponade. The reasons may be:
- cancer
- urazy
- rheumatic diseases
Increased fluid volume significantly impairs the filling of the heart cavities, especially the right atrium and the right ventricle, which are "recipients" of blood from the body's veins, this is the cause of all the symptoms seen in tamponade.
These symptoms are:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- increased heart rate
- fatigue
- cough
- can also cause a sudden cardiac arrest
The most characteristic, however, is Beck's triad.
It is a group of three symptoms, the appearance of which indicates tamponade, they are:
- excessive filling of the jugular veins due to blood stagnation in the venous system. Normally, the superficial veins in the neck are invisible or slightly marked. Their filling makes them very easy to see, especially above the collarbones
- low blood pressure, i.e. hypotension (below 90 / 60mmHg) caused by insufficient volume of blood ejected from the heart
- quiet tones in auscultation of the heart as the fluid in the pericardial sac dampens the sound of closing valves
Unfortunately, the classic Beck triad is rarely seen, usually one or two of the following occurs with tamponade, but none of the symptoms may also occur. This makes recognition much more difficult.
Remember that the patient's condition and the appearance of symptoms depends primarily on the amount of fluid and the rate of its build-up.
The presence of Beck's triad symptoms results, on the one hand, from filling the pericardial cavity with fluid, so there is no room for a relaxing heart, andso the inflow of blood into his cavities is hindered. This results in blood stagnation in the veins.
This phenomenon is also responsible for the pressure drop, because insufficient filling of the ventricles with blood causes the ineffectiveness of heart contractions. There is more than normal blood in the veins, and the volume of blood in the arterial system is reduced.
Both of these mechanisms directly translate into low blood pressure. The course of tamponade can be very serious, so the symptoms of this condition should never be underestimated.
About the author
Bow. Maciej GrymuzaA graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of K. Marcinkowski in Poznań. He graduated from university with an over good result. Currently, he is a doctor in the field of cardiology and a doctoral student. He is particularly interested in invasive cardiology and implantable devices (stimulators).