A 62-year old male with a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease presents with chest pain. He was discharged from the hospital 2 days ago after being treated for a STEMI which occurred 5 days ago. The pain is mid-sternal, worse with deep inspiration and lying flat. He has been taking all of his medications including aspirin and clopidogrel as instructed. Vital signs are: BP 142/76, HR 102, T 37.2 C, RR 18, SpO2 96%. On exam, he is sitting upright and appears in mild discomfort but otherwise has no focal findings. EKG shows Q waves in II, III, and aVF without significant other changes. POCUS reveals a small circumferential pericardial effusion with a normal ejection fraction. Which of the following is the first line treatment of this patient’s suspected condition?
A: colchicine
B: heparin
C: high dose aspirin
D: naproxen
E: prednisone
Answer: high dose aspirin
This patient is presenting with peri-infarction pericarditis which is an uncommon complication of STEMIs due to the increasing use of reperfusion therapy. Despite not having classic EKG changes suggestive of pericarditis, he meets diagnostic criteria for acute pericarditis. According to the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, high dose aspirin (650 mg every 6 hours) is the first line treatment of acute pericarditis after STEMI (Class I recommendation). In contrast to viral, idiopathic, or autoimmune causes of pericarditis, NSAIDs such as naproxen or glucocorticoids are not recommended due to potential for myocardial scar thinning and infarct expansion. Colchicine may be used as an adjunctive medication if high dose aspirin is not effective. Heparin is not recommended for the treatment of acute pericarditis.
| Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Pericarditis (requires 2 of the following) |
| Characteristic chest pain (sharp or pleuritic, improved sitting up and leaning forward, worse lying down) |
| Pericardial friction rub |
| New or worsening pericardial effusion |
| Suggestive EKG changes (diffuse ST segment elevations) |
References:
O’Gara, P. T., Kushner, F. G., Ascheim, D. D., Casey, D. E., Jr, Chung, M. K., de Lemos, J. A., Ettinger, S. M., Fang, J. C., Fesmire, F. M., Franklin, B. A., Granger, C. B., Krumholz, H. M., Linderbaum, J. A., Morrow, D. A., Newby, L. K.,
Ornato, J. P., Ou, N., Radford, M. J., Tamis-Holland, J. E., Tommaso, C. L., … Zhao, D. X. (2013). 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 61(4), e78–e140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2012.11.019
