[Cardiac tamponade as a complication of acute myocardial infarct. (Clinical and pathologico-anatomic analysis of patients with acute myocardial infarct and cardiac tamponade)].

Cardiac tamponade is a frequent cause of death in acute myocardial infarction--in as many 23%. It is encountered in particular in the 7th and 8th decade, in patients with a first infarction which is frequently situated in the anterior wall of the left ventricle. 93% of the patients have obvious ECG manifestations of Q infarction. The diagnosis of cardiac tamponade is easy when during an acute terminal attack slow activity on the ECG tracing is found without a haemodynamic response and the pulse on the great arteries is not palpable even after external cardiac massage. In 80% the onset of cardiac tamponade is very sudden. The presence of shock or cardiac failure makes the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade more difficult. As to investigated indicators, in the development of cardiac tamponade the systemic pressure--systolic as well as diastolic--on admission or during hospitalization, may play a part. The patients have a less marked coronary sclerosis, fibrosis of the cardiac muscle is less frequently present. Previous necroses of the heart muscle may have probably a certain protective effect on the development of cardiac tamponade. Anticoagulants obviously do not influence the development of cardiac tamponade.