Which finding is NOT part of Beck's triad in cardiac tamponade?

Which finding is NOT part of Beck's triad in cardiac tamponade?

• A. Hypotension
• B. Elevated JVP
• C. Pulsus paradoxus
• D. Distant/muffled heart sounds

Answer: (C)

Beck's triad captures the static signs that come from the heart being squeezed by fluid: low blood pressure from reduced ventricular filling, high neck venous pressure from backflow and impaired venous return, and muffled or distant heart sounds because the fluid around the heart dampens sound transmission. Pulsus paradoxus, on the other hand, is an exaggerated decrease in systolic blood pressure during inspiration. It's a dynamic phenomenon describing how the pulse changes with breathing, and while it can occur with tamponade due to the same underlying restriction of the heart, it is not one of the three classic triad components. So, although pulsus paradoxus can be seen in tamponade, it is not part of Beck's triad. The other signs—hypotension, elevated JVP, and distant/muffled heart sounds—are the triad itself.

Beck's triad captures the static signs that come from the heart being squeezed by fluid: low blood pressure from reduced ventricular filling, high neck venous pressure from backflow and impaired venous return, and muffled or distant heart sounds because the fluid around the heart dampens sound transmission. Pulsus paradoxus, on the other hand, is an exaggerated decrease in systolic blood pressure during inspiration. It's a dynamic phenomenon describing how the pulse changes with breathing, and while it can occur with tamponade due to the same underlying restriction of the heart, it is not one of the three classic triad components. So, although pulsus paradoxus can be seen in tamponade, it is not part of Beck's triad. The other signs—hypotension, elevated JVP, and distant/muffled heart sounds—are the triad itself.