Drug-induced pericarditis

Abstract

Though not common, drug-induced pericarditis is a serious condition, since pericardial tamponade, should it develop, may be life-threatening. As the number of drugs is constantly expanding, so does the proportion of those capable of causing pericarditis. The authors reviewed the relevant literature in the PubMed database and complemented it with information from the VigiBase database. In their article, the authors present current knowledge about the mechanisms of origin and level of risk of drug-induced pericarditis and discuss relevant information on individual drugs divided into 7 classes. Some medicines are associated with a high risk of developing pericarditis, a fact to be taken into account when treating patients with these agents.