I'm really worried about my dad. He's 50 and has been dealing with some health issues for the last ten days. He fainted last Saturday and his blood pressure dropped to 9363, with a fever of 102F. Our regular doctor gave him paracetamol, but then the same thing happened again on Sunday. We rushed him to another doctor who found moderate pericardial effusion and admitted him to the ICUU. They ended up putting in a temporary pacemaker because his pulse rate was falling below 50 bpm. It seemed to help, but then after they removed the pacemaker, his atrial fibrillation was varying quite a bit. The doctor adjusted his medication, and now the AF is still shifting between 110 and 130. They mentioned something about fluid dissolving, but I'm not sure what the next steps should be. Any advice on how we should proceed?

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Dr Ibrahim Salah

General Practitioner

MBBS
2+ Yrs

Consult Now

It sounds like your father has been through a lot with the pericardial effusion and subsequent atrial fibrillation. It's good to hear that 90% of the fluid has been dissolved. To continue managing the atrial fibrillation, the doctor may prescribe medications such as Metoprolol (25-50mg twice daily) to help control the heart rate. Additionally, blood thinners like Warfarin (2.5-5mg once daily) may be prescribed to prevent blood clots. It's important to monitor his heart rate and rhythm regularly and follow up with the doctor for further evaluation and management.

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Answered 04/07/2025

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