Establishment of an acute pericardial effusion animal model guided by ultrasound

Objective To explore the feasibility of establishing an acute pericardial effusion animal model guided by ultrasound. Methods Six experimental pigs were anesthetized. A PTC needle was injected and guided to the right ventricular anterior wall under real-time high frequency ultrasound, 40 ml and 80 ml normal saline were respectively infused into the pericardial cavity within 5 minutes. Ultrasonography and pathologic examination were applied to confirm this porcine model. The amount of the fluid was estimated by ultrasound at 1 hour and 8 hours after infusion. Results With ultrasound guidance, the PTC needle smoothly entered the pericardial cavity and the saline was successfully injected. The fluid dispersed from local to the entire pericardial cavity. Pericardial effusion last within 8 hours and no significant change of the fluid amount was found (all P>0.05). This acute pericardial effusion model was successfully established with a rate of 100%. Conclusions It is feasible to establish an animal model of acute pericardial effusion under the guidance of ultrasound. This method is safe, rapid and effective. It can provide a suitable animal model for the study of acute pericardial effusion. Key words: Ultrasonography, interventional; Pericardial effusion; Disease models, porcine; Cardiac rupture