Week 4 - Pericarditis Flashcards
1
Q
what is pericarditis
A
- inflammation of the pericardial sac/pericardium
2
Q
what are causes of pericarditis (10)
A
- idiopathic
- bacterial
- viral
- autoimmune disease
- radiation
- post MI
- TB
- neoplasm
- drug
- trauma
3
Q
what are symptoms of pericarditis (3)
A
- chest pain
- dyspnea
- pericardial friction rub hallmark finding
4
Q
describe the chest pain during pericarditis
A
- progressive, frequently severe
- sharp and pleuritic in nature
5
Q
what causes the chest pain in pericarditis to worsen?
A
- deep inspiration
- when lying supine
6
Q
what relieves the chest pain in pericarditis
A
- sitting forward
7
Q
where might the chest pain in pericarditis radiate to (4)
A
- neck
- arms
- left shoulder
- trapezius muscle
- difficult to differentiate from angina*
8
Q
why does dyspnea occur in pericarditis
A
- r/t the pts need to breath in rapid, shallow breaths to avoid chest pain
9
Q
what is pericardial friction rub
A
- scratching, grating, high-pitched sound
- arises from friction between the roughened pericardial and epicardial surfaces
- heard with stethoscope at lower left sternal border of chet
10
Q
what are 2 major complications of pericarditis
A
- pericardial effusion
- cardiac tamponade
11
Q
what is a pericardial effusion
A
- accumulation of excess fluid in the pericardium
12
Q
what does a pericardial effusion cause?
A
- compression of adjoining structures (pulmonary tissue, phrenic nerve, laryngeal nerve)
13
Q
list signs of pericardial effusion (6)
A
- cough
- dyspnea
- tachypnea
- hiccups
- hoarseness
- distant, muffled heart sounds
14
Q
what is cardiac tamponade
A
- develops as fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac (pericardial effusion)
= increase in intrapericardial pressure and compression of the heart = decreased CO
15
Q
what does cardiac tamponade cause (8)
A
- chest pain
- confusion
- anxiety, restless
- muffled heart sounds
- tachypnea
- tachycardia
- neck and jugular vein distension (blood cant move foward)
- dyspnea
