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Management
■ NSAIDs may be used for up to 2 wk.
■ Add colchicine (Colcrys) for recurrent symptoms or continued symptoms
>14 days.
■ Monitor for cardiac tamponade.
■ More severe pain can be controlled with morphine.
■ If cause is infectious, antibiotics or antifungal drugs may be administered.
■ Treatment consists of antibiotics specific to the pathogen for at least 6 wk.
■ If a pericardiectomy is performed, continue assessments of VS, lab work,
and the appearance of wounds and insertion sites of invasive lines.
■ Other surgical procedures include pericardiocentesis, pericardial window,
pericardiotomy.
■ Monitor temperature and cardiac rhythm; assess for heart murmurs.
■ Perform neurological assessments, inspect skin surfaces, and monitor drug
peaks and troughs and urine output.
■ Disease may progress to cardiac tamponade and chronic constrictive pericarditis.
Pacemakers/AICD
Pacemakers generate an electrical impulse that stimulates the myocardium to
depolarize, thereby initiating a cardiac contraction. Aim is to keep the ventricles
beating to sustain adequate BP to perfuse all organs sufficiently. Consists of a
pulse generator and 1–3 leads with electrodes.
Pacemakers can also stimulate only selected areas of the heart. Codes have
been established for general widespread use: Refer to the 2002 North American
Society for Pacing and Electrophysiology Position Statement: The Revised
NASPE/BPEG Generic Code for Antibradycardia, Adaptive Rate, and Multisite
Pacing at http://www.hrsonline.org/Practice-Guidance/Clinical-Guidelines-
Documents/2002-The-Revised-NASPE-BPEG-Generic-Code-for-Antibradycardia-
AdaptiveRate-and-Multisite-Pacing#axzz2aSv6txwb

CV