AFB - Pericardial Fluid

ACID-FAST BACILLUS (AFB) – PERICARDIAL FLUID:

Why AFB PERICARDIAL fluid test?

CLINICAL INFORMATION :

PERICARDIAL fluid analysis is used to help diagnose the cause leading to fluid accumulation in the pericardial fluid, to differentiate either exudate or transudate i.e. if the cause is due to inflammation of the pericardium (pericarditis), or fluid accumulation around the heart (pericardial effusion). If the cause of fluid accumulation around the heart is due to an imbalance of pressure within blood vessels or due to the inflammation of the pericardium.  Hence this differential diagnosis would enable to confirm of the cause for effective treatment.

Due to anatomical features, tuberculous pericarditis arises most frequently by the direct spread which involves mediastinal lymph nodes or adjacent pulmonary lesions and also from hematogenous seeding. Thus pericardial effusion is the most common clinical manifestation.  After the screening procedures, the confirmation may require pericardiocentesis, a procedure to remove pericardial fluid specimen for examination from the pericardial sac, moreover, this procedure (decompression) will help prevent cardiac tamponade (very high volume of fluid in the pericardial sac) to correct hypotension due to decreased stroke volume from extrinsic compression of the chambers of the heart. If the condition is ignored may lead to complications such as constrictive pericarditis, thickening, and scarring of the pericardium – which would prevent the heart from filling and emptying fully leading to severe swelling of legs, abdomen causing shortness of breath and therefore early detection of these complications should be a cornerstone of overall management. Some other causes other than mycobacterium tuberculi (Acid Fast Bacteria) that can cause pericarditis are inflammation of pericardium following surgery or heart attack, post-myocardial infarction pericarditis (Dressler’s syndrome) usually follows stress cardiomyopathy autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, cancer metastasis particularly from lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease and certain infectious diseases due to viral origin like coxsackievirus, herpesvirus, mumps, HIV and pneumococci of bacterial origin can lead to pericarditis.  

General instructions:

Sample Requirement: Specimens pericardial Fluid. Test Preparation: None.

NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presentingcomplaints / signs or symptoms:

SPECIMENREQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.   

 This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory “RTDIAGNOSTICS” provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centers to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.