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	Related conditions   - Cardiac arrest   - Atrial fibrillation   - Cardiomyopathy   - Heart attack   - Congestive heart failure   - Heart murmur   - Pericarditis   - High blood pressure   - Angina   - Aneurysm, aortic   - Arrhythmias

Pericardiocentesis

The pericardial sac is the membrane that surrounds the heart. Sometimes this sac fills with abnormal or excess fluid.

Pericardiocentesis uses a needle to remove fluid from the sac for either laboratory testing or to relieve pressure on the heart caused by excess fluid. A guide wire is passed through the needle, the needle is removed and a flexible, hollow tube (catheter) replaces the needle. Fluid is withdrawn through the catheter and the catheter may remain in place for several hours.

Normally, there is a small amount of light-yellow fluid in the pericardial sac. If this fluid is abnormal in composition, appearance or volume, it may indicate serious problems, such as congestive heart failure, cancer, a stretching or ballooning of a heart chamber or trauma to the heart.

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