Which complication is associated with a client diagnosed with acute pericarditis?

Acute pericarditis, which is the inflammation of the pericardium (the fibrous sac surrounding the heart), can lead to several complications, one of which is cardiac tamponade. This occurs when fluid accumulates in the pericardial space, increasing pressure on the heart and impairing its ability to pump effectively. In acute pericarditis, inflammation can result in an effusion (fluid accumulation), and if this fluid builds up significantly, it creates a situation where the heart is compressed, leading to cardiac tamponade. Symptoms of cardiac tamponade can include hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and jugular venous distention, often referred to as Beck's triad.

The other complications listed—hemothorax, pulmonary embolism, and tension pneumothorax—are not primarily associated with acute pericarditis. Hemothorax involves blood accumulation in the pleural space, pulmonary embolism pertains to a blockage in the pulmonary arteries often due to blood clots, and tension pneumothorax involves air trapping in the pleural space leading to lung collapse. While these conditions are serious, they do not result directly from the inflammation associated with acute pericarditis as cardiac tamponade does