Monitoring
Patients who do not have risk factors for poor prognosis (i.e., high fever; subacute course; evidence of a large pericardial effusion; cardiac tamponade; failure to respond within 7 days to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; myopericarditis; immunosuppression; trauma; oral anticoagulant therapy) can be managed as outpatients with empiric anti-inflammatories and evaluated in the clinic after 1 week to assess the response to treatment.[1]
Generally, long-term surveillance is not necessary in patients with acute viral or idiopathic pericarditis. Repeat imaging (echo, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging) may be required in patients who have associated pericardial effusions or suspicion of constrictive pericarditis.[13][37]
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