Final answer:
Cardiac tamponade is an acute condition where fluid accumulation in the pericardial cavity decreases heart relaxation and stroke volume, requiring prompt drainage. Constrictive pericarditis is a chronic condition featuring a thickened pericardium that restricts heart expansion, typically necessitating surgical intervention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The differences between cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis involve their pathophysiology and clinical presentations. Cardiac tamponade is a condition where excess fluid, often blood, accumulates within the pericardial space, leading to increased pressure on the heart and preventing its chambers from fully relaxing and filling with blood. As a result, there is a reduced stroke volume and cardiac output, which can be life-threatening if not treated promptly with procedures such as pericardial drainage.
On the other hand, constrictive pericarditis involves the thickening of the pericardium, which leads to a rigid pericardial shell that restricts the heart's normal expansion during diastole. Unlike tamponade, in which fluid accumulation acutely compresses the heart, constrictive pericarditis causes chronic compression, affecting cardiac dynamics over a longer period. Treatment of constrictive pericarditis may require pericardiectomy to relieve the constriction.