Context
Acute Pericarditis is a well-recognised cause of chest pain. Patients with pericarditis are seen commonly in the Emergency Department (ED): it is reported that 5% of patients presenting to the ED with non-ischaemic chest pain have acute pericarditis [2]. It is, therefore, a condition that Emergency Physicians should be familiar with.
Definition
Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory pericardial syndrome with or without pericardial effusion [9].