pericarditis

Question 1

1st line treatment pericarditis?

Answer 1

if not viral treat the underlying cause

1st line= NSAID, PPI + colchicine for 3 months (to reduce reoccurrence)

if no improvement/ due to inflammatory condition (RA or SLE)= steroids

if cardiac tamponade/ significant pericardial effusion= pericardiocentesis

patients should not perform rigorous exercise until chest pain has resolved + inflammatory markers have improved

Question 2

what is Kussmaul’s sign?

Answer 2

sign indicating constricitve pericarditis (condition developed due to pericardium being inflamed for a long time where the pericardium thickens + constricts the heart)

-sign where JVP doesn’t fall with inspiration

Question 3

treatment of constrictive pericarditis?

Answer 3

pericardectomy