Condition- Myocarditis Flashcards
What is myocarditis?
Acute inflammation and necrosis of cardiac muscle (myocardium)
What is the most common cause of Myocarditis and Pericarditis in Europe and USA?
Coxsackie B virus
What is the most common cause of myocarditis in S. America?
Chaga’s Disease
State one autoimmune disease which is associated with both myoarditis and pericarditis…
SLE
List some symptoms of myocarditis
- Prodromal flu-like illness with:
- Fever
- Malaise
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Breathlesness (due to pericardial effusion/ myocardial dysfunction)
- Palpitations
- Note may get sharp chest pain (suggesting also pericarditis)
List some of the signs of myocarditis
- Soft S1
- S3 gallop
- Sinus Tachycardia
- Signs of CHF
- Rales
- Elevated JVP
- Signs of arrhythmias
List one key symptom of pericarditis
- Sharp chest pain relieved by sitting forwards
List two key signs of pericarditis
- Pericardial friction rub (squeaking sound)
- Cardiac Tamponade signs:
- Beck’s triad:
- Raised JVP
- Low Blood Pressure
- Muffled Heart Sounds
- Beck’s triad:
List three signs of cardiac tamponade and what is the name for this triad?
BECK’S TRIAD:
- Raised JVP
- Low BP
- Muffled Heart sounds
What might you see in an ECG of someone with myocarditis?
- non-specific ST-segment and T-wave abnormalitis
- Can get ST-elevaion + depression
- Pericarditis signs:
- Saddle- ST elevation
- PR depression
- Pericarditis signs:
What could you look for in the bloods of someone with Myocarditis? + What can confirm the diagnosis?
- Elevated WCC =infective
- ESR/ CRP raised
- Cardiac Enzymes = if troponin elevated confirms diagnosis
- To ID cause: Viral/ bacterial serology, ANA, TFT
Which test could you conduct to identify the cause of myocarditis?
- Bloods:
- Viral/bacterial serology
- ANA for SLE
- TFT
- Drugs + Tox screen
- Pericardial fluid drainage + MC&S: ID organism
