Acute Pericarditis Criteria + Course
Acute pericarditis diagnostic criteria (Adler 2015): at least TWO of four.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Yes
- ST elevation or PR depression
- Yes
- Course over time
- Acute (new onset)
Result: Pericarditis criteria 2 of 4 - criteria met, acute (new onset).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Supporting
- Raised inflammatory markers, and inflammation on CT or cardiac MRI. These support the diagnosis but do NOT count toward the two.
- Course
- Acute at new onset; incessant past 4 to 6 weeks without clear remission; recurrent after a symptom-free interval of 4 to 6 weeks or more; chronic beyond 3 months.
- Caution
- Classified separately from the count. Meeting the criteria does not exclude a coronary syndrome, an aortic dissection or a pulmonary embolism.
What you enter
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Pericardial friction rub
- ST elevation or PR depression
- Pericardial effusion
- Raised markers (supporting)
- CT or MRI inflammation (supporting)
- Course over time
How this is calculated
- Criteria
- At least TWO of: pleuritic chest pain better sitting forward; friction rub; new widespread ST elevation or PR depression; new or worsening effusion.
Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M, et al. 2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Eur Heart J. 2015;36(42):2921-2964. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.