Congenital Atrial Septal Defect Presenting With Tamponade Physiology and an Associated Viral Illness

Cardiac tamponade is a serious clinical syndrome that often presents with the classic triad of hypotension, jugular vein distention and diminished or muffled heart sounds on auscultation (Beck’s Triad). This phenomenon occurs due to fluid accumulation in the pericardial space which compresses the heart, reduces cardiac output and may cause cardiogenic shock. In this report, we present a case of a 22-year-old female with a congenital atrial septal defect (ASD) and right ventricular failure with tamponade physiology with an associated viral illness.