Signs of classical cardiac tamponade include three signs, known as Beck's triad.

The medical signs classically associated with acute cardiac tamponade are collectively called Beck's triad.

Developed concept of Beck's Triad.

Beck's Triad may refer to:

Beck's triad (cardiology)

Beck's triad is a collection of three medical signs associated with acute cardiac tamponade, an emergency condition wherein fluid accumulates around the heart and impairs its ability to pump blood.

With cardiac tamponade, jugular veins are distended and typically show a prominent x descent and an absent y descent as opposed to patients with constrictive pericarditis (prominent x and y descent), see Beck's triad.

This causes equilibration of the pressure in all four heart chambers, and results in the common findings of the tamponade which are pulsus paradoxus, Beck's triad of hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and JVD, as well as EKG or Holter monitor findings such as electrical alternans.