Purulent pericarditis

The goal of treatment is to cure the infection.

Medications include:

• Antibiotics to treat bacterial infections
• Analgesics to relieve pain
• Aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) to relieve inflammation of the pericardium
• Diuretics to remove excess fluid

Bedrest with the head of the bed raised may reduce the workload on the heart.

Other treatments include:

• Cutting a small hole (window) in the pericardium (subxiphoid pericardiotomy) to allow infected fluid to drain
• Draining fluid from the pericardial sac (pericardiocentesis) to prevent or treat cardiac tamponade
• Pericardial stripping or removing part of the pericardium (surgical pericardiectomy) if bacterial pericarditis is chronic or comes back

The disorder may be life-threatening if untreated. The outcome is good if bacterial pericarditis is treated promptly. Most people recover completely with treatment.

• Cardiac tamponade
• Constrictive heart failure
• Pulmonary edema

Images

Bacterial pericarditis

Heart, front view

Pericardium

Review Date: 05/06/2010
Reviewed By: Issam Mikati, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine. Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)