Treatment and Prognosis of Acute Pericarditis

A majority of patients, 75 to 80 percent, experience a benign course with acute pericarditis, characterized by resolution of symptoms. The primary treatment involves high-dose NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, alongside colchicine, administered until chest pain resolves and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels normalize, typically over two to three weeks. To mitigate the risk of recurrence, a three-month course of colchicine is recommended, which can reduce recurrence risk by about 50 percent. The monitoring of CRP is essential as it indicates systemic inflammation levels. Additionally, while not routine, checking cardiac troponin is beneficial when assessing for potential myocardial ischemia or concurrent myocarditis.