Pericarditis

Epidemiology & Pathophysiology Overview Pericarditis accounts for ~5% of non–ST-elevation chest pain presentations in emergency departments. Acute pericarditis affects 1–3 cases per 1,000 person-years, with peak incidence in young to middle-aged adults (mean age 45–55 years). Idiopathic/viral etiology accounts for ~80% of primary acute cases; post-cardiac injury syndromes (e.g., post-MI, post-pericardiotomy) represent another 10%; autoimmune,…