Pericarditis Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Pericarditis is an inflammation that occurs in the pericardium. The pericardium itself is a membrane that encloses the heart and functions to hold the heart in place. The function of the pericardium has nothing to do with the normal activity of the heart but acts as a protector of the organ.
The pericardium can become irritated or inflamed for several reasons. When inflammation or pericarditis occurs, it needs to be treated immediately. If left unchecked, this condition can lead to serious complications that can even threaten the life of the sufferer.
One of the common complications of pericarditis is cardiac tamponade. This complication occurs due to a significant accumulation of fluid in the pericardium. This condition can cause a drastic drop in blood pressure that can be life-threatening.
Pericarditis affects more men with an age range of 20–50 years, than women with the same age range. However, women still have a risk of developing this disease.
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of pericarditis complained of by sufferers include:
- Pain in the middle or left side of the chest. Chest feels like being stabbed or slashed. Pain is usually reduced when the patient sits.
- Pain that radiates to the shoulder.
- Chest pounding.
- Shortness of breath that gets worse when the patient lies down.
- Fever and body that feels very weak.
Sometimes the symptoms of pericarditis look similar to those of a heart attack.
If not treated promptly, pericarditis can cause cardiac tamponade, which is a condition where excess fluid accumulates in the cavity between the heart and the pericardium. Cardiac tamponade makes it difficult for the heart to beat and blood pressure to drop to dangerous levels.
Reason
There are many causes of pericarditis. However, the most common cause is a viral infection. Viruses that can cause pericarditis include HIV, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and hepatitis C.
In addition, pericarditis can also be caused by:
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
- Injury in the chest area
- Radiotherapy effect
- Fungal or parasitic infection
- Side effects of drugs, such as warfarin and phenytoin
Diagnosis
To determine a diagnosis of pericarditis, the doctor will conduct a series of detailed medical interviews and perform a physical examination. In the early stages, the doctor will listen to the patient’s heart sounds using a stethoscope.
There is a characteristic heart sound, called a pericardial friction rub, which is usually found in people with pericarditis. After that, further examination will be carried out to confirm the results of the diagnosis.
Several follow-up examinations in the form of radiological examinations that can be carried out include:
- Chest X-ray and CT scan. In patients with pericarditis, the shape of the heart will change due to a buildup of fluid in the pericardial cavity.
- Cardiac MRI. This examination will show a more detailed picture of the shape of the heart.
- Echocardiogram. This examination can detect and measure fluid that has accumulated in the pericardial cavity of the heart.
Treatment
Treatment of pericarditis depends on the cause. But in general, to deal with complaints that occur, several treatments that can be used are:
- Pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These drugs can be used to treat pain and inflammation in the pericardium.
- Colchicine. Doctors can give this treatment to reduce inflammation.
- If the pericarditis is severe enough, then treatment with corticosteroids will be given by the doctor.
In some cases, minor surgical procedures in the form of pericardiocentesis also need to be performed to treat pericarditis. Pericardiocentesis is an action to remove fluid from the pericardial cavity by inserting a small tube into the chest cavity.
Prevention
There is nothing that can be done to prevent pericarditis.