Evaluation and Treatment of Pericarditis

Abstract

Pericarditis is the most common form of pericardial disease worldwide and may recur in as many as one-third of patients who present with idiopathic or viral pericarditis. Appropriate triage and treatment with NSAIDs may reduce readmission rates for pericarditis. Treatment with colchicine can reduce recurrence rates.

Electrocardiographic approach to classification of acute pericarditis in emergency department: Typical and atypical pericarditis

“…The etiology of pericardial disease is often difficult to determine or remains idiopathic (12). The most frequent cause of acute pericarditis is idiopathic in developed countries (13). In general, the classification of the pericardial diseases can be made aetiologically or by duration.…”

Delayed recurrent pleuropericardial effusions following atrial septal defect closure with Amplatzer septal occluder device: a case of postpericardiotomy syndrome?

“…Previous literature has documented the frequent co-existence of various viral agents in the presentation of postpericardiotomy syndrome. Thus, a theory of an autoimmune response accelerated by a viral infection has been proposed as a pathophysiology for this condition 7. Viral infections commonly associated with acute pericarditis include organisms typically causing upper respiratory tract infections; likewise, infections by cytomegalovirus may also present in this manner.…”

Aetiology search should be guided by clinical evaluation

“…As mentioned in the original paper, patients with 'idiopathic pericardial effusions' are labelled in this way only after exclusion of any specific aetiology according to clinical judgement. 1 The aetiology of pericardial diseases is varied, and the risk is to have a very long list of causes, [2][3][4][5] where clinicians may miss themselves. We strongly support a clinically oriented approach to the aetiology search, where the clinical suspicion guides the choice of the diagnostic evaluations to be performed, according to the pretest probability.…”