UREMIC PERICARDITIS

Course overview

THE PERICARDIUM IS THE FIBROELASTIC SAC SURROUNDING THE HEART. IT IS COMPOSED OF TWO LAYERS, VISCERAL AND PARIETAL, THAT ARE SEPARATED BY A POTENTIAL SPACE. WITHIN THIS POTENTIAL SPACE, 15 TO 50 MILLILITERS OF FLUID EXIST TO SERVE THE PURPOSE OF LUBRICATION. THE TERM ACUTE PERICARDITIS REFERS TO INFLAMMATION OF THIS FIBROELASTIC SAC. THE CAUSES OF PERICARDITIS ARE WIDE-RANGING AND INCLUDE INFECTION, AUTOIMMUNE PROCESSES, MALIGNANCY, AND UREMIA. UREMIC PERICARDITIS TYPICALLY OCCURS IN PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE AND PATIENTS WITH SEVERE AZOTEMIA (ELEVATED BLOOD UREA NITROGEN, BUN), TYPICALLY ABOVE 60 MG/DL. CLINICAL FEATURES OF UREMIC PERICARDITIS INCLUDE CHEST PAIN, PARTICULARLY IN THE RECUMBENT POSITION, A PERICARDIAL RUB THAT IS OFTEN AUDIBLE, AND IN SEVERE CASES, CARDIAC TAMPONADE MAY BE PRESENT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH UREMIC PERICARDITIS.