Category: Cardiology
Keywords: Acute Pericarditis, Colchicine (PubMed Search)
Posted: 9/15/2013 by Ali Farzad, MD
(Updated: 3/10/2014)
Click here to contact Ali Farzad, MD
Colchicine is known to be effective in treatment of recurrent pericarditis, but until recently its efficacy during the first attack of acute pericarditis has been uncertain.
A recent multicenter, double-blinded, RCT of patients with acute pericarditis found colchicine to be effective in reducing the rate of incessant or recurrent pericarditis (primary outcome), as well as the rate of hospitalization. Here are some highlights:
Bottom-line:
Colchicine is a safe and effective drug for the treatment of acute pericarditis. Consider adding colchicine to conventional therapies to reduce duration of symptoms, recurrences, and rate of hospitalization.
Imazio M, Brucato A, Cemin R, et al. A Randomized Trial of Colchicine for Acute Pericarditis. N Engl J Med. 2013 (.pdf attached)
Do you know the ECG findings of pericarditis and how to differentiate from other causes of diffuse ST-segment elevation? Check out these previous ECG videos to refresh your memory...
STEMI vs. Benign early repolarization vs. Pericarditis
ECG findings in Pericarditis vs. STEMI
