Acute pericarditis is the inflammation of the layers of the pericardium, a thin sac that surrounds the heart. Acute pericarditis is characterized by a sharp chest pain caused by friction in the irritated layers of the pericardium. Treatment for acute pericarditis may include medications, and in some very rare cases, surgery. Early prognosis of the condition helps to prevent more serious complications.
A major symptom of acute pericarditis is severe pain in the left part of the chest or at the back of the breastbone. The pain may intensify when a person breathes deeply, coughs, swallows food, or lies down.
Sometimes, the pain may be quite similar to the chest pain associated with a heart attack.
The exact reason behind the occurrence of acute pericarditis is not always easy to determine. In some cases, the exact cause may not be found at all. However, the causes for the acute pericarditis ascertained by medical science include:
Some cases of mild pericarditis may not need any treatment at all. However, in most cases, treatment includes the following options.
Medication prescribed to relieve irritation in the membrane depends upon the severity and the length of the condition. The medication to relieve inflammation may include:
If the cause of acute pericarditis is bacterial infection, antibiotics and, in some cases, drainage may also be prescribed.
Surgery and hospitalization: Hospitalization is often advised in serious complications of acute pericarditis such as fluid buildup around the heart and severe recurrent pericarditis. The treatment advised may be:
The ECG changes in acute pericarditis indicate the inflammation of the pericardium. ECG changes in pericarditis are classified into four stages:
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