Pericarditis/Constrictive Pericarditis Flashcards
What is an inflammatory or infectious process of the parietal and visceral layers of the pericardium?
Pericarditis
What is the most common cause of pericarditis?
idiopathic
What are the etiologies for pericarditis?
A.) Acute injury occurs
B.) Fibrin, white blood cells, and endothelial cells are released and cover the parietal and visceral layers of the perocardium.
C.) Friction between the layers causes irritation and inflammation.
Within how many weeks of the offending condition does the onset of acute pericarditis occur?
Two Weeks
How long can acute pericarditis last up to?
Can last up to six weeks.
The coloration of fluid with acute pericarditis is typically ___
Clear, straw, or amber colored.
It is comon to see blood and/or fibrinous strands within the effussion.
Acute pericarditis consists of about how many ml of fluid within the pericardial sac?
> 100 ml
Chronic pericarditis can last up to how many months?
6 months
What are complications of pericarditis?
Pericardial effusion
Tamponade
Constrictive Pericarditis
What is the condition which causes pericardial thickening and scarring of the parietal and/or visceral pericardium.
Constrictive pericarditis.
- The layers become dense and adhere to one another, oblitering the pericardial space.
- Calcification may occur.
What is the treatment of choice for constrictive pericarditis?
Pericardiectomy (removal of the pericardium)
With constricitve pericarditis, if all four chambers are involved equally, the end diastolic pressures within the ____, ____, ____, ____ and ____ will equalize and elevate.
Right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, pcw, and left ventricle
With constricitve pericarditis the left ventricular size is typically normal and the left atrium is typically ______
Enlarged due to impaired filling
With constrictive pericarditis, the mitral inflow pattern has a large E wave and a small A wave ____ respiratory changes.
With
Why might one see flat left ventricular inferior wall motion in diastole with constrictive pericarditis?
The heart cannot expand properly because the layers of the wall adhere to one another.
