Pericarditis

Question 1

What is pericarditis?

Answer 1

Inflammation of the pericardium, the fluid filled sack surrounding the heart.
Usually caused by viral infection.

Question 2

Signs and symptoms of pericarditis

Answer 2

Sharp, stabbing, chest pain.
Worse on deep breath or lying down.
High temperature and other infection markers.

Question 3

Management of pericarditis

Answer 3

Sitting up or leaning forward may help
NSAIDs - recovery usually in 1-2 weeks
Can lead to cardiac tamponade or chronic constrictive pericarditis

Question 4

What is cardiac tamponade?

Answer 4

Occurs when too much fluid builds up in the pericardium, preventing it from filling and pumping properly, leading to shock

Question 5

What is chronic constrictive pericarditis?

Answer 5

Occurs when pericarditis causes scar tissue to build up over time, causing problems with the heart filling and pumping properly