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Acute Pericarditis |
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Acute Pericarditis is a medical condition, in which pericardium inflammation starts suddenly and frequently is painful; such inflammation results in blood products and fluids such as white blood cells, red white cells, and fibrin to pour into the pericardial spaces. Acute pericarditis may be caused ranging from viral infection to life threatening cancers. Also this disorder may be caused by myocardial infarction (heart attack), AIDS, systemic lupus, heart surgeries, leaks of blood from aortic aneurism, radiation treatments, failure of kidneys, and rheumatoid disorders. Acute pericarditis can result as a side effect of specific medications including Phenylbutazone, Phenytoin, Procainamide, Penicillin, and Anticoagulants. Generally, acute pericarditis results in chest pain and fever, which usually spreads to the left shoulder and in some cases down to the left arm. Pericarditis can result in cardiac tamponage, a possibly fatal condition. A physician diagnoses this disorder by the person’s description of the aches and by listening through a stethoscope. Acute pericarditis may produce a sound similar to the creaking of leather shoes. An echocardiography and chest x-rays can show too much fluids in the pericardium. Echocardiography can also find the underlying causes, for example, tumors – and show the pericardial’s fluid pressure on the right chamber of the patient’s heart; high pressure may suspect cardiac tamponade. Blood tests may discover some medical conditions, that result in pericarditis – for example: infection, AIDS, leukemia, rheumatic fevers, and higher blood count of urea, caused by kidney failure. The prognosis depends on the causes. When acute pericarditis is resulted from a virus or when the causes are not apparent, recovery generally takes one to three weeks. Side effects and recurrences may slow recovery process. Patients with cancers, which have invaded the pericardium, very rarely survive beyond 12-18 months. Physicians usually hospitalize patients with acute pericarditis, give them medications that decrease inflammations and aches (such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin), and check them for complication, especially cardiac tamponade. If intense pain occurs, a doctor prescribes Opiate, such as Morphine, or Corticosteroids. Prednisone is the most common drug for pain. Further treatments of acute epericarditis depends on the underlying causes. Cancer individuals can respond to anticancer drugs (chemotherapy) or radiation therapy, but these individuals frequently undergo surgical removal of the pericardium. Patients on dialysis due to kidney failure commonly respond to changes in dialysis programs. Physicians treat bacterial infections with various antibiotics and by surgery, consisting of pus draining from the pericardium. Drugs causing acute pericarditis must be discontinued. Patients with recurring incidences of pericarditis, caused by a virus, injuries, or unknown causes can get relief from Ibuprofen, Aspirin, or Corticosteroid. Sometimes, a drug Colchicine is helpful. If medication treatment fails, the removal of the pericardium is needed.
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| Category |
Disease Conditions > A
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| Related Searches |
constrictive pericarditis, viral pericarditis, chronic pericarditis |
| Date Submitted |
02-Nov-2005
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