User:Mr. Ibrahem/Pericarditis
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium (the fibrous sac surrounding the heart).[9] Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp chest pain.[1] The pain may also be felt in the shoulders, neck, or back.[1] It is typically better sitting up and worse when lying down or breathing deeply.[1] Other symptoms may include fever, weakness, palpitations, and shortness of breath.[1] Occasionally onset of symptoms is gradual.[9] Complications can include cardiac tamponade, myocarditis, and constrictive pericarditis.[1][2]
Pericarditis | |
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An ECG showing pericarditis. Note the ST elevation in multiple leads with slight reciprocal ST depression in aVR. | |
Specialty | Cardiology |
Symptoms | Sharp chest pain, better sitting up and worse with lying down, fever[1] |
Complications | Cardiac tamponade, myocarditis, constrictive pericarditis[1][2] |
Usual onset | Typically sudden[1] |
Duration | Few days to weeks[3] |
Causes | Viral infection, tuberculosis, uremic pericarditis, following a heart attack, cancer, autoimmune disorders, chest trauma[4][5] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, electrocardiogram, fluid around the heart[6] |
Differential diagnosis | Heart attack, pleurisy, costochondritis, pneumonia[1][7] |
Treatment | NSAIDs, colchicine, corticosteroids[6] |
Prognosis | Usually good[6][8] |
Frequency | 3 per 10,000 per year[2] |
The cause of pericarditis is believed to be most often due to a viral infection.[4] Other causes include bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, uremic pericarditis, following a heart attack, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and chest trauma.[4][5] The cause often remains unknown.[4][9] Diagnosis is based on the chest pain, a pericardial rub, specific electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and fluid around the heart.[6] Other conditions that may produce similar symptoms include a heart attack.[1]
Treatment in most cases is with NSAIDs and possibly colchicine.[6] Steroids may be used if those are not appropriate.[6] Typically symptoms improve in a few days to weeks but can occasionally last months.[3] It is a less common cause of chest pain.[10] About 3 per 10,000 people are affected per year.[2] Those most commonly affected are males between the ages of 20 and 50.[11] Up to 30% of those affected have more than one episode.[11]