Pericardial Drainage

Pericardiocentesis

How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Have allergies to any medicines, including anesthetics.
• Take any medicines, particularly antibiotics or blood thinners (anticoagulants).
• Have had bleeding problems.

Unless the procedure is being done in an emergency, you will be asked to sign a consent form. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

You may not be able to eat or drink for several hours before the test. Some blood tests, including those to check for anemia and blood-clotting problems, may be done before the test.

Because this is a test involving your heart, you may have to stay overnight in the hospital to be monitored closely. If a drain is inserted during the test, you may have to stay for several days.

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Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: July 24, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine George Philippides, MD - Cardiology
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