Pericarditis; bacterial

Alternative names:

bacterial pericarditis

Symptoms:

• chest pain
  • radiating to the neck, shoulder, back, or abdomen
  • pleuritic type: described as sharp, stabbing
  • increases with breathing

• the preferred position is upright, standing, or sitting
• difficulty breathing
• splinting of ribs with deep breathing (bends over of holds chest when breathing)
• dry cough
• anxiety
• fatigue
• fever
• sweating
• chills
• joint pain

Signs and tests:

When listening to the heart through a stethoscope (auscultation), the health care provider can hear a pericardial rubbing sound and heart sounds may be faint or distant. There may be other signs of fluid in the pericardium (pericardial effusion). If the disorder is severe, there may be signs of fluid in the space around the lungs (pleural effusion), such as decreased breath sounds. The person may appear toxic (septic shock) and critically ill. There may be signs of associated pneumonia.

Fluid around the heart may show on:

• a chest X-ray
• a chest MRI scan
• a chest CT scan
• a coronary angiography
• an echocardiogram
• An ECG may show changes.

The source of infection may be indicated by:

• blood cultures
• pericardial fluid Gram stain
• pericardial fluid culture
• a CBC showing increased WBC count