A surgical puncture of the heart to withdraw fluid, blood, or tissue samples, or to perform a therapeutic procedure.
From cardio- (Greek kardia, 'heart') + -centesis (from Greek kentesis, 'puncture' or 'pricking'). Medical term from 19th-century Latin medical terminology describing a heart puncture procedure.
In emergency rooms, doctors sometimes perform cardiocentesis when fluid around the heart is causing it to compress—it's a dramatic last-resort procedure where a needle goes directly into the heart sac to relieve pressure.
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