Volume 11, Issue 4: Pericarditis

Pericarditis: A diagnostic curved ball

It’s been a hectic week in the middle of lockdown and you are double checking your PPE supplies when a call comes in ‘a 58-year-old female has collapsed, complaining of severe chest pain’. On arrival you find Margo conscious and alert, you begin your assessment and consider potential differential diagnoses…

CPD Benefit

Paramedics will frequently encounter patients experiencing ‘chest pain’, but not all chest pain is cardiac. Pericarditis, inflammation of the pericardial membranes, accounts for approximately 5% of cases of patients complaining of acute chest pain.

This article provides information on the causes and pathophysiology of pericarditis. It also provides guidance on carrying out a systematic consultation and assessment to arrive at a working diagnosis and ensure best practice in the management of patients.

Assessment Answers and References

To check your answers to the quiz please see the back page of the issue. The reference list for this article is available through the link below.

Standby CPD – Vol. 11 no. 4 – References