Pericarditis
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Pericarditis Complications
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Arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation. When pericarditis accompanies myocarditis, other arrhythmias may be present, such as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or complete heart block.
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Cardiac tamponade
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Constrictive pericarditis, where inflammation of the pericardial sac results in fibrosis and thickening of the pericardium with adhesions (i.e., sticky scars) between the pericardium and the heart. The pericardium creates a rigid "case" around the heart and can severly limit the ability of the heart to fill with blood during diastole (i.e., the relaxation phase before the next heartbeat). Patients with constrictive pericarditis may develop heart failure which responds poorly to treatment. Constrictive pericarditis needs to be differentiated from a chronic heart condition called restrictive cardiomyopathy, which produces symptoms and signs similar to constrictive pericarditis.
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