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Pericardial Drainage - How To Prepare
About this test
Tell your doctor if you:
- Are allergic to any medicines, including anesthetics.
- Take medicine to prevent blood clots, including anticoagulants (such as warfarin) or antiplatelets (such as clopidogrel or aspirin).
- Are taking antibiotics.
- Have had bleeding problems.
Unless the procedure is being done in an emergency, you
will be asked to sign a consent form. Talk to your doctor about any concerns
you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or
what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test,
fill out the
medical test information form 
(What is a PDF document?).
You may not be able to eat or drink for several hours before the test.
Some blood tests, including those to check for anemia and blood-clotting problems, may be done before the test.
Because this is a test involving your heart, you may have to stay overnight in the hospital to be monitored closely. If a drain is inserted during the test, you may have to stay for several days.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: June 30, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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