Diagnostic clinical criteria
Acute pericarditis (at least two of four criteria)
Typical (pleuritic) chest pain
Pericardial friction rub (<33% of cases)
ECG changes with widespread (non-region...
Goal of treatment is to relieve pain and reduce complications (e.g., recurrence, tamponade, chronic constrictive pericarditis).
Outpatient therapy is reported to be successful in 85% patients...
7 to 10 days to assess response to treatment
1 month to check CBC and CRP and thereafter if symptoms continue to be present
Those with clinical predictors of poor p...
Brucato A, Imazio M, Gattorno M, et al. Effect of anakinra on recurrent pericarditis among patients with colchicine resistance and corticosteroid depen...
I31.9 Disease of pericardium, unspecified
I30.9 Acute pericarditis, unspecified
I30.1 Infective pericarditis
I31.1 Chronic constrictive pericarditis
I31.0 Chronic adhesive pericarditis
323...
Therapy aimed at symptomatic relief and NSAIDs are first-line treatment. Colchicine is recommended as an adjunct to NSAIDs and has been shown to decrease risk of recurrence by 50%
Peric...
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Figure 138.1. Electrocardiogram of a 35-year-old man with acute pericarditis. Note the diffuse, concave-upward ST-segment elevation.
Constrictive pericarditis. The heart is encased in a fibrotic, thickened, and adherent pericardium.
<bold>Fig CA 20-1 Infectious pericarditis.</bold> Globular enlargement of the cardiac silhouette reflects a combination of pericarditis and pericardial effusion in a patient with coxsackievirus infection. There are small pleural effusions bilaterally.
<bold>Fig CA 20-1 Infectious pericarditis.</bold> Globular enlargement of the cardiac silhouette reflects a combination of per...
<bold>FIGURE 26-2</bold> Fibrinous pericarditis. The heart of a patient who died in uremia displays a shaggy, fibrinous exudate covering the visceral pericardium.
<bold>FIGURE 26-2</bold> Fibrinous pericarditis. The heart of a patient who died in uremia displays a shaggy, fibrinous exudat...
Aspirating pericardial fluid In pericardiocentesis, a needle and syringe are inserted through the chest wall into the pericardial sac (as shown below). Electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring, with a leadwire attached to the needle and electrodes placed on the limbs (right arm [RA], left arm [LA], and left leg [LL]), helps ensure proper needle placement and avoids damage to the heart.
Aspirating pericardial fluid In pericardiocentesis, a needle and syringe are inserted through the chest wall into the pericardial sac (as s...