Which procedure is typically performed to relieve tamponade by removing excess fluid?

• A. Open-heart surgery
• B. Coronary stenting
• C. Thrombolysis
• D. Pericardiocentesis

Answer: (D)

Tamponade occurs when fluid builds up around the heart and compresses it, preventing proper filling and reducing cardiac output. The quickest way to relieve this pressure is to drain the excess fluid from the pericardial space. Pericardiocentesis uses a needle (often with ultrasound guidance) to aspirate the fluid, rapidly increasing ventricular filling and improving hemodynamics. This emergent procedure directly addresses the cause of tamponade—too much fluid in the pericardial sac.

Other options are not used to treat tamponade: open-heart surgery is a more invasive approach used for other surgical goals or complex effusions; coronary stenting targets coronary artery blockage; thrombolysis dissolves clots.