Medically reviewed by Christopher Lee, MD Beck's triad is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that can indicate a severe heart problem. It consists of three symptoms that often occur together: ...

People with pericardial effusion most often report shortness of breath and chest pain. Diagnosis of cardiac tamponade may be challenging in an emergency. Not all cases cause Beck's triad symptoms.

Cardiac tamponade occurs when a pericardial effusion exerts a significant amount of pressure externally on the heart, resulting in impaired right ventricular filling eventually causing decreased ...