Acute Pericarditis

Cardiovascular · ~11% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Inflammation of the pericardium; most viral/idiopathic. Also post-MI (Dressler), uremia, autoimmune, TB, malignancy.
Signs & Symptoms: Sharp pleuritic chest pain, better leaning forward / worse supine; pericardial friction rub.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: Clinical + ECG: diffuse ST elevation with PR depression. Echo to assess for effusion/tamponade.
First-line Treatment: NSAIDs (aspirin if post-MI) + colchicine; treat the underlying cause.

High-Yield Pearl

Diffuse ST elevation + PR depression distinguishes it from regional STEMI. Watch for tamponade: Beck triad (↓BP, JVD, muffled sounds) + pulsus paradoxus.

More Cardiovascular conditions

Acute Coronary Syndrome (STEMI)
Aortic Dissection
Aortic Stenosis
Atrial Fibrillation
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Heart Failure (HFrEF)
Hyperlipidemia
Hypertension (Essential)
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Infective Endocarditis
Mitral Regurgitation
Peripheral Arterial Disease

All Cardiovascular