Diagnostic pericardial window. A safe alternative to exploratory thoracotomy for suspected XXXX .

@entity1 @entity299 @entity8198 @entity3697 @entity130
During a five-year period, 104 @entity1 underwent a pericardial window procedure to diagnose possible @entity299 . Eighty-eight procedures were performed by a subxiphoid approach, and 16 were transdiaphragmatic in combination with an exploratory laparotomy. There were 51 @entity1 with stab wounds, 45 with gunshot wounds, and eight with @entity130 . All penetrating wounds were near the heart. In seven @entity1 the window disclosed @entity299 with no clinical signs of tamponade or shock. Fifty-one @entity1 had signs of tamponade; however, only 12 of them had a @entity299 diagnosed by pericardial window. Nineteen @entity1 had @entity299 . One examination had false-negative results and one study had false-positive results. @entity299 repaired included the right ventricle (eight), left ventricle (three), right atrium (five), and @entity299 (three). Complications were negligible and consisted of minor wound infections (two) and @entity8198 (two). The pericardial window provides a rapid and safe means of diagnosing @entity299 in @entity1 with equivocal signs of @entity3697 while sparing the @entity1 without a heart wound a major operation.
