Pericardiocentesis Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have a pericardiocentesis, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Needle damage to an organ in the chest, like the lung or heart
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Disruption of the heart’s normal rhythm

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Obesity
• History of smoking
• History of excess alcohol consumption
• Use of blood thinners or blood clotting problems
• Shock

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the insertion site
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Cough, difficulty breathing, or chest pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.