Beck's triad in pericardial tamponade includes which three findings?

• A. Muffled heart sounds; Distended neck veins; Hypotension
• B. Pulsus paradoxus; tachycardia; hypotension
• C. Chest pain; Shortness of breath; Hypertension
• D. Bradycardia; Clear lungs; Normal BP

Answer: (B)

Beck's triad reflects the hemodynamic effects of cardiac tamponade: reduced filling of the heart leads to lower cardiac output and hypotension, while blood backs up into the venous system causing neck vein distention, and the accumulating fluid around the heart muffles its sounds. The classic trio is muffled heart sounds, distended neck veins, and hypotension.

Pulsus paradoxus and tachycardia are indeed common in tamponade, but they are not part of Beck's triad. The other options describe findings that don’t fit the typical tamponade pattern (for example, hypertension or normal BP with bradycardia, or chest pain with clear lungs).