Case of a COVID-19 female presented with pericardial effusion

A case report published in JACC described a female who presented into a hospital with progressive shortness of breath. X-ray scan was inconclusive and therefore a heart ultrasound examination was performed. It showed a collection of blood within the pericardial cavity (called pericardial hemorrhagic effusion). The pathology later progressed into Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also known as “broken heart disease”).

An emergency case like this requires quick evaluation of heart function, especially Left Ventricle Ejection Fraction (abbr. LVEF) (describes how well your heart pumps blood into a systemic circulation).