The human body needs the circulatory system for the absorption of nutrients and the disposal of unnecessary substances for the body. The heart is the main organ within the system, therefore, it is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, that is, it carries out circulation. It is a hollow muscle, the size of a fist, weighing about 300 grams. This consists of a pericardium, a membrane that surrounds it, and that has 2 layers; it is divided into serous pericardium and fibrous pericardium. It's of vital importance; however, it can also be affected by various conditions that can seriously affect it.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium, the tissue that covers the heart and the arteries in their entirety. The cause may be an infection, in the respiratory tract, originated by an Echovirus, located in the gastrointestinal tract, or a Coxsackievirus, both of the Picornaviridae family. When it comes to a bacterial infection, purulent pericarditis can develop, although this is rare. It has been determined that the population most likely to present it has an age range that goes from 20 to 50 years, also affecting men and women equally.
Known symptoms include: chest pain, anxiety, fatigue, fever, dry cough, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and swelling of the lower extremities. Among other signs we can find distant or mild heart beats, in addition to pleural effusion. Treatment consists of the administration of analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; When it comes to bacterial pericarditis, the chosen elements should be antibiotics, while that caused by fungi should be eliminated with antifungal agents.
