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Pericarditis

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pericarditis (pronunciation: peri·car·di·tis) is a heart condition. It is the inflammation of the pericardium, the tissue (sack) surrounding the heart.[1]

Pericarditis
An ECG showing pericarditis, with ST elevation in multiple leads and slight reciprocal ST depression in aVR.
Medical specialtyCardiology
SymptomsSharp chest pain, better sitting up and worse with lying down, fever[2]
ComplicationsCardiac tamponade, myocarditis, constrictive pericarditis[2][3]
Usual onsetTypically sudden[2]
DurationFew days to weeks[4]
CausesViral infection, tuberculosis, uremic pericarditis, following a heart attack, cancer, autoimmune disorders, chest trauma[5][6]
Diagnostic methodBased on symptoms, electrocardiogram, fluid around the heart[7]
Differential diagnosisHeart attack[2]
TreatmentNSAIDs, colchicine, corticosteroids[7]
PrognosisUsually good[7][8]
Frequency3 per 10,000 per year[3]
Constrictive Pericarditis

Signs and Symptoms

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Pericarditis can be acute pericarditis or chronic pericarditis. A typical symptom of acute pericarditis is a sharp, pricking chest pain taking place rapidly. It is felt in the left side of chest or the middle in women unless the pain is radiating.[verification needed] The pain could go (radiate) to the upper back or be on the chest[verification needed] (and it may depend on sitting/standing forward or straight posture). There may be pain in one or both shoulders, abdomen, back, and neck.[2][3]

References

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  1. "What Is Pericarditis?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Pericarditis?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Imazio, Massimo; Gaita, Fiorenzo (2015-07-15). "Diagnosis and treatment of pericarditis". Heart. 101 (14): 1159–1168. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-306362. ISSN 1355-6037.
  4. "How Is Pericarditis Treated? - NHLBI, NIH". web.archive.org. 2016-10-02. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2025-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. "What Causes Pericarditis? - NHLBI, NIH". web.archive.org. 2016-10-02. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2025-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. Tingle, Leslie E.; Molina, Daniel; Calvert, Charles W. (2007-11-15). "Acute pericarditis". American Family Physician. 76 (10): 1509–1514. ISSN 0002-838X. PMID 18052017.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Imazio, Massimo; Gaita, Fiorenzo; LeWinter, Martin (2015-10-13). "Evaluation and Treatment of Pericarditis: A Systematic Review". JAMA. 314 (14): 1498. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12763. ISSN 0098-7484.
  8. Cunha BA (2010). Antibiotic Essentials. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-4496-1870-4.