The goal of treatment is to cure the infection.

Medications include:

• Antibiotics to treat bacterial infections
• Analgesics to relieve pain
• Aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) to relieve inflammation of the pericardium
• Diuretics to remove excess fluid

Bedrest with the head of the bed raised may reduce the workload on the heart.

Other treatments include:

• Cutting a small hole (window) in the pericardium (subxiphoid pericardiotomy) to allow infected fluid to drain
• Draining fluid from the pericardial sac (pericardiocentesis) to prevent or treat cardiac tamponade
• Pericardial stripping or removing part of the pericardium (surgical pericardiectomy) if bacterial pericarditis is chronic or comes back

The disorder may be life-threatening if untreated. The outcome is good if bacterial pericarditis is treated promptly. Most people recover completely with treatment.

• Cardiac tamponade
• Constrictive heart failure
• Pulmonary edema