Pericarditis

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the layers of the pericardium. It may involve the diaphragm and can be primary or secondary to other disease. Pericardium is the fibrous sac surrounding the heart.

Pericarditis may result from bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, immunologic disorders, connective tissue disease, neoplasms, renal failure, myocardial infarction, myocardial injury, radiation, or drugs.

Patient with pericarditis will show up the signs and symptoms as followed as here:

• Chest pain that worsens when deep breathing or lying in a supine position and improves when sitting up taking shallow breaths (this is one means to discriminate from acute MI since chest pain in MI is usually not effected by change in position)
• Dyspnea
• Malaise
• Fever
• Cough
• Elevated ESR and WBC
• Pericardial friction rub heard most commonly on expiration

Nursing Interventions for patients with pericarditis:

• Assess and monitor vital signs and heart sound.
• Administer pain medication to treat malaise and other flulike symptoms as prescribed.
• Administer NSAIDs as prescribed.
• Give patient time for rest.
• Assess and monitor the signs of decreases cardiac output.
• Comfort patient: increased fluids, rest periods, and distraction technique.
• Teach patient to adhere to medication schedules.
• Guide patient to adopt ways to modify lifestyle especially to conserves energy and reduce fatique during acute episode of illness.
• Teach patient how to recognize signs of recurrence: chest pain, malaise, and fever.