Understanding Cardiac Tamponade and Bedside Open Chest Procedures

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The purpose of this paper is to describe what are the indication for a bedside open chest procedure. Define what a cardiac tamponade is and the causes along with why there is a need for a bedside open chest procedure. Describe the signs and symptoms of a cardiac tamponade along with what equipment is needed for measurement. A scenario will be created in order to allow for answering of questions that will challenge the nurse to perform critical thinking. Five questions will be addressed along with the appropriate answers and the rationales for the answers. Anyone can memorize signs and symptoms and rattle them off, but the true art of critical thinking is the application and interpretation of the data that is observed in the patient during Signs and Symptoms of a Cardiac Tamponade Signs and symptoms that the patient will be different for every person. Common symptoms are “anxiety, restlessness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, pale, gray or blue skin” (Health Guide, 2017), low blood pressure and decreased urine output. These sign and symptoms can be associated with other disease processes. But following open heart surgery a combination of these with the inclusion of physical findings will give rise to the conclusion of a cardiac tamponade. Diminished heart sounds, increased jugular vein distention along with low blood pressure are referred to as Beck triad signs (Yarlagadda, 2016). How do these signs and symptoms along with Beck triad apply to a patient? Equipment needed following open heart surgery Initially the patient will be recovered in the post anesthesia area. They are orally intubated for a few hours or more. Blood pressure will be measured via an arterial line to their radial, brachial or femoral artery, depending on their vascular issues. An invasive line called a Swan Ganz catheter measures “pressures inside your heart and in the artery to

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