Sandbox:Usman Ali Akbar

Acute Pericarditis

Overview

Acute pericarditis can be defined as inflammation of pericardial sac. Pericardial sac is composed of two layers visceral and parietal layers which is separated by a space called pericardial space. Acute pericarditis can be divided based on difference in etiology, i.e Viral, bacterial, autoimmune,neoplastic or idiopathic. It presents with history of chest pain which is sharp , pleuritic and improved by leaning forward and sitting up. There is pericardial friction rub that can be heard by placing diaphragm of the stethoscope over Left Sternal Border. Acute Pericarditis can be diagnosed by proper history and physical exam. The initial modality of testing is usually ECG ,Chest X-ray and cardiac biomarkers. Acute pericarditis is a relatively benign condition and can be managed by addressing the specific etiology. For acute idiopathic and viral pericarditis , symptomatic treatment including colchicine and NSAIDs is usually given. Glucocorticoids is usually reserved for patients having contraindications for treatment with NSAIDs