Paradoxical hypertension with cardiac tamponade

Subacute (medical) tamponade develops over a period of days or even weeks. Previous studies have shown that subacute tamponade is uncommonly associated with hypotension. On the contrary, many of those patients are indeed hypertensive at initial presentation. We sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of hypertensive cardiac tamponade and hemodynamic response to pericardial effusion drainage. We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent pericardial effusion drainage for subacute pericardial tamponade. Diagnosis of pericardial tamponade was established by the treating physician based on clinical data and supportive echocardiographic findings. Patients were defined as hypertensive if initial systolic blood pressure (BP) was ≥140 mm Hg. Thirty patients with subacute tamponade who underwent pericardial effusion drainage were included in the analysis. Eight patients (27%) were hypertensive with a mean systolic BP of 167 compared to 116 mm Hg in 22 nonhypertensive patients. Hypertensive patients with tamponade were more likely to have advanced renal disease (63% vs 14%, p <0.05) and pre-existing hypertension (88% vs 46, p <0.05) and less likely to have systemic malignancy (0 vs 41%, p <0.05). Systolic BP decreased significantly in patients with hypertensive tamponade after pericardial effusion drainage. Those results are consistent with previous studies with an estimated prevalence of hypertensive tamponade from 27% to 43%. In conclusion, a hypertensive response was observed in approximately 1/3 of patients with subacute pericardial tamponade. Relief of cardiac tamponade commonly resulted in a decrease in BP.