The pericardium is a double - layer , sack - comparable tissue layer that cover the heart and protects it from neighboring complex body part . Between both level there is a little amount of liquidness that acts as a lubricant favoring that they can slither on each other .
When pericardium is stir up , pericarditis originates . In these circumstances , the degree of liquid increases and can overload the warmheartedness , and forestall it from function aright . This precondition affects mainly human being between 20 and 50 year old .
Causes
In most cases , the drive is unknown . Nevertheless , this pathology is a moment of a viral or bacterial contagion , or may be link up to the pursuit :
Symptoms
In intense pericarditis , which live on less than 6 weeks , the patient presents pain in the precordial area ( anterior and central arena of the chest of drawers ) , which can be intense and oppressive and , sometimes , it radiate to the back , cervix and result berm and arm .
The bother gets bad with abstruse inspiration , lateral movements of the chest and when the patient role lies on his back . Some affected role go through never-ending pain in the sternum similar to the agony produced by acute myocardial infarction , in which fount fever and tachycardia may hap .
Chronic pericarditis , on the other bridge player , last more than 6 weeks ; it is accompany by dyspnea , cough ( due to the expulsion of fluid into the alveolus – which are tiny melodic phrase sacs in the lung- that causes the mellow insistency of the vena ) and weariness due to the pathetic functioning of the heart . It is also uncouth the alluviation of liquid state in the belly and leg , but the condition itself is practically painless .
Diagnosis
Acute pericarditis can be detected , in addition to the description of pain , from cardiac auscultation . A chestx - rayand anechocardiogrammay reveal the presence of fluid in the pericardium . origin tests , on the other mitt , allow detecting some of the causes , among them , leukemia orHIV .
A dresser decade - ray also allows observing if there are calcium deposits in the pericardium , although it may not be conclusive . A catheterization or a magnetic reverberance look-alike helps to confirm the diagnosis and the growth in the size of the pericardium .
Can Pericarditis Become Life Threatening?
In most cases , mainly those start by virus , pericarditis is a self - limit event , which respond well to anti - incitive and heal after 1 to 3 weeks . However , pericarditis can develop lifespan - jeopardize complication . The two principal complication of pericarditis are : cardiac tamponade and limiting pericarditis .
Cardiac Tamponade : In some cases of pericarditis there may be fluid accrual between the level of the pericardium . In about 5 % of cases this build up is so great that excess fluid compresses the heart chambers , preventing the pith from fill up and pumping line the right way . Cardiac tamponage is a medical emergency because the affected role can go into shock because of a heart pump unsuccessful person .
Constrictive Pericarditis : Although infrequent , some people with pericarditis , with a long inflammation and with frequent recurrences , may train permanent scarring and a thickening of the pericardium . In these patients , the pericardium lose its elasticity , becomes fixed and compresses the affection , making it difficult to pump blood . Constrictive pericarditis usually cause tiredness , difficulty breathing and edema of the legs and abdomen .
The treatment reckon on how the pericarditis occurs , as well as the effort that originated it . In worldwide footing , patients must be hospitalise and given anti - incendiary drug . When the pain is very intense , doctors recommend the administration of opioids or corticosteroids .
Conclusion
Evolution and prognosis of the disease are very variable . In fact , in some cases , even when the disease is in a mild stage it can acquire into a life - threatening stipulation . Besides , medical prognosis will get worse if there is a buildup of liquid around the tenderness or when the eye muscle does not ferment decently .
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