Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium
The cause of pericarditis often remains unknown but is believed to be most often due to a viral infection
A heart attack may produce similar symptoms to pericarditis.
Pericarditis is an uncommon cause of chest pain
pericarditis pain changes with body position
The classic sign of pericarditis is a friction rub heard with a stethoscope on the cardiovascular examination, usually on the lower left sternal border
Pericarditis can progress to pericardial effusion and eventually cardiac tamponade.
Pericarditis may be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.
Laboratory values can show increased urea (BUN), or increased blood creatinine in cases of uremic pericarditis.
great stress to the heart, laboratory values may show increased cardiac markers like Troponin (I, T), CK-MB, Myoglobin, and LDH1
When pericarditis is diagnosed clinically, the
underlying cause is often never known;
Acute pericarditis is more common than chronic pericarditis
