POCUS Cases  – Pericardial Effusion POCUS

Learning Objectives

1. Review the literature on accuracy of POCUS for pericardial effusion diagnosis
2. Compare and contrast the two cardiac views for determining a pericardial effusion
3. How to distinguish between pericardial fluid vs epicardial fat and pericardial fluid vs pleural effusion
4. To explain the findings of cardiac tamponade and electrical alternans
5. To review the false positives of pericardial effusion on POCUS

Key Reference

Alpert EA, Amit U, Guranda L, Mahagna R, Grossman SA, Bentancur A. Emergency department point-of-care ultrasonography improves time to pericardiocentesis for clinically significant effusions. Clin Exp Emerg Med. 2017;4(3):128-132.