117: Pericarditis vs Myocardial Infarction

Rapid Response RN

A patient arrives at the ER, complaining of chest pain that dramatically worsens when she lies down. What could this clue reveal about her condition? In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini recounts her experience caring for her first pericarditis patient and the subtle yet critical signs that distinguish it from more common cardiac emergencies.

Sarah dives into the tricky nature of chest pain, sharing how the PQRST pain assessment and an EKG played a critical role in uncovering the patient’s condition. She also outlines the diagnostic criteria that help differentiate pericarditis from more serious conditions like myocardial infarction, emphasizing the symptoms that can make diagnosis challenging.

Listen to the episode for insights on recognizing the easily mistaken signs of pericarditis, diagnosing the condition, and providing effective treatment!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Patient case study of a young woman with chest pain
• Assessment and diagnosis of pericarditis
• Pathophysiology of pericarditis
• Infectious vs. noninfectious causes of pericarditis
• The diagnostic criteria for pericarditis
• EKG characteristics in pericarditis vs. myocardial infarction
• Key takeaways on the diagnosis and treatment of pericarditis

Learn more by reading this Brady et al article about ECG morphology in pericarditis:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11581081/

Mentioned in this episode:

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