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.

Sources

Reviewed September 2026

2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases — European Society of Cardiology, 2015

Checked against the guideline or standard reference the exam keys to. If it has moved, use Report an error below.

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