- 1. Muffled heart sounds
- 2. Decrease in blood pressure
- 3. Dilatation of the neck veins
- How the treatment is done
The Beck Triad is characterized by a set of three signs that are associated with cardiac tamponade, such as muffled heart sounds, decreased blood pressure and dilation of the veins in the neck, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood.
Cardiac tamponade consists of the accumulation of fluid between the two membranes of the pericardium, which are responsible for the lining of the heart, generating the signs described above and symptoms such as increased heart and respiratory rate, pain in the chest, cold and purple feet and hands, lack appetite, difficulty swallowing and coughing.
Find out what are the most common causes of cardiac tamponade.
Beck's triad can be explained as follows:
1. Muffled heart sounds
When an injury to the heart occurs, for example, an increase in intrapericardial pressure can be generated due to the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space, which is the space between the heart and the pericardium, a kind of sac attached to the heart, which surrounds it. This accumulation of fluid around the heart will drown out the sound of the heartbeat, which is the first component of Beck's triad.
2. Decrease in blood pressure
This change in intracardiac pressure compromises cardiac filling, because the heart will not be able to work properly, thus decreasing cardiac output, which is reflected in a decrease in blood pressure, according to Beck's triad sign.
3. Dilatation of the neck veins
As a consequence of the decreased cardiac output, the heart will also have difficulty receiving all the venous blood, which comes from the rest of the body to the heart, which will cause the blood to accumulate, leading to the third sign of the beck triad, dilation of the neck veins, also known as jugular turgency.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of cardiac tamponade must be done urgently and usually consists of performing a pericardiocentesis, which is a type of surgical procedure that aims to remove excess fluid from the heart, which is a temporary procedure, which only relieves symptoms and can save the patient's life.
After that, the doctor may perform more invasive surgery to remove a part of the pericardium, drain blood or remove blood clots, for example.
In addition, replacement of blood volume with liquids and administration of drugs to normalize blood pressure and administration of oxygen in order to reduce the load on the heart can also be done.
