Acute Pericarditis Quiz
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Have chest pain
Brain fog
Tightening in the chest
Fatigued
Heart palpitations
Have a fever
Chest pain on left side
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Acute Pericarditis?
Acute pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium (outer covering of the heart) that develops suddenly (<6 weeks). Possible causes include infection, trauma, or an autoimmune condition. The condition affects all ages but is more common in men between 16 to 65 years old.
Typical Symptoms of Acute Pericarditis
- History of connective tissue, autoimmune or rheumatic disease
- Fever
- Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing
- Chest pain
- Left-sided chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty thinking clearly
Diagnostic Questions for Acute Pericarditis
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Have you ever been diagnosed with a connective tissue, autoimmune, or rheumatic disease?
- Do you have a fever?
- Do you experience wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing?
- Are you experiencing chest pain?
- Do you have pain on the left side of your chest?
Treatment of Acute Pericarditis
Mild cases may not need treatment. Medications to reduce inflammation and pain are used for moderate and severe cases. Severe cases may need hospitalization. If fluid builds up in the space between the heart and its covering, surgery may be necessary.
Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Tatsuya Shiraishi, MD (Cardiology)
Dr. Shiraishi graduated from the Kyoto University School of Medicine. He worked as a cardiologist at Edogawa Hospital, and after joining Ubie, he became the Director of East Nihonbashi Internal Medicine Clinic.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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With a free 3-min Acute Pericarditis quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Whistling when I breathe
- My body is hot
- Respiratory wheeze
- Recurrent fevers
- Periodic fever (>100.4°F / 38°C)
- Loud breathing
- Fever then no fever then fever again
- Right side chest pain
- Stridor
- Remittent fever of 102.2°F / 39°C
- Extremely high fever of 106.7°F / 41.5°C or higher
- Chest pain all over
- Fever of 100.4°F / 38°C or more for weeks
- Stomach was uncomfortable, then had a fever
- Tight feeling in the chest
See full list
Symptoms Related to Acute Pericarditis
Diseases Related to Acute Pericarditis
FAQs
Q.
Pericarditis Pain? Why Your Heart Is Inflamed & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Pericarditis is inflammation of the heart’s lining that typically causes sharp chest pain that worsens when lying flat and improves when sitting forward, often after a viral illness, and it is usually managed with NSAIDs and colchicine, but crushing or spreading pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or low blood pressure requires emergency care. There are several factors to consider for diagnosis, activity limits, recurrence risk, complications like tamponade, and when hospitalization is needed; see below for medically approved next steps, clearer differences from a heart attack, and exactly when to call your doctor or go to the ER.
References:
* Imazio M, Gribaudo E, Guzzetti C, De Ferrari GM. Pericarditis: updates on diagnosis and management. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2022 May 1;23(5):309-317. doi: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000001280. PMID: 35467310.
* Imazio M, Lazaros G, Platzek K, Imazio B, Guzzetti C, De Ferrari GM. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Pericarditis. Heart Fail Clin. 2023 Jul;19(3):395-408. doi: 10.1016/j.hfc.2023.01.002. PMID: 37302488.
* Imazio M, Brucato A, Adler Y, De Ferrari GM, Porcello R. Colchicine for the treatment of pericarditis: an updated review. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2023 Feb;25(2):101-110. doi: 10.1007/s11886-023-01859-z. Epub 2023 Jan 30. PMID: 36717540.
* Chiabrando JG, De Ferrari GM, Imazio M. Management of Recurrent Pericarditis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022 Mar 22;79(12):1172-1185. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.01.034. PMID: 35300067.
* Adler Y, Imazio M. Diagnosis and treatment of acute pericarditis. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2023 May 1;38(3):286-292. doi: 10.1097/HCO.0000000000001047. Epub 2023 Feb 28. PMID: 36853609.
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Doctor NS, Shah AB, Coplan N, Kronzon I. Acute Pericarditis. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2017 Jan-Feb;59(4):349-359. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2016.12.001. Epub 2016 Dec 10. PMID: 27956197.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062016301384?via%3DihubSnyder MJ, Bepko J, White M. Acute pericarditis: diagnosis and management. Am Fam Physician. 2014 Apr 1;89(7):553-60. PMID: 24695601.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2014/0401/p553.html