Chest, Vol 77, 643-646, Copyright © 1980 by American College of Chest Physicians

ARTICLES

Pericardial rub in pericardial effusion: lack of correlation with amount of fluid

W Markiewicz, A Brik, G Brook, Y Edoute, I Monakier and Y Markiewicz

The relation between the amount of pericardial fluid and the presence of a pericardial rub was examined in 76 patients with echocardiographic evidence of pericardial effusion. A pericardial rub was noted in 4 of 13 patients with small pericardial effusion (less than 100 ml), in 23 of 40 patients with moderate effusion (100 to 500 ml), and in ten of 23 patients with a large effusion. No difference in the amount of fluid was demonstrated in the group of patients with a rub when compared to the group without one. There was a statistically significant relation between the presence of a rub and the cause of the effusion. No inference as to the amount of pericardial fluid should be drawn from the presence or absence of a pericardial rub.

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				C. L. Roy, M. A. Minor, M. A. Brookhart, and N. K. Choudhry Does This Patient With a Pericardial Effusion Have Cardiac Tamponade? JAMA, April 25, 2007; 297(16): 1810 - 1818. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]