pericarditis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (Specialised medical terminology)Technical/Medical
Quick answer
What does “pericarditis” mean?
Inflammation of the pericardium, the double-walled sac surrounding the heart.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Inflammation of the pericardium, the double-walled sac surrounding the heart.
A medical condition characterised by chest pain, fever, and potential complications like pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and pronunciation are identical. Usage is identical in medical contexts. Layperson understanding may vary slightly based on healthcare system exposure.
Connotations
Purely clinical, with no regional cultural connotations.
Frequency
Equally frequent in professional medical discourse in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “pericarditis” in a Sentence
The patient developed pericarditis.Pericarditis is often caused by a virus.They treated him for pericarditis.The ECG findings were consistent with pericarditis.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pericarditis” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The pericarditic rub was audible on auscultation.
- Pericarditic pain is typically pleuritic.
American English
- The pericarditic friction rub was detected.
- Pericarditic symptoms improved with anti-inflammatories.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare, except in pharmaceutical or healthcare business reports discussing drug trials for pericarditis.
Academic
Exclusively in medical, nursing, or biomedical science literature and lectures.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation unless discussing a personal/ family medical diagnosis.
Technical
Core term in cardiology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and pathology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “pericarditis”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “pericarditis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pericarditis”
- Misspelling as 'pericarditus' (confusion with '-itus' ending).
- Confusing it with 'myocarditis' (inflammation of the heart muscle).
- Using it as an uncountable noun in contexts where specifying a type is needed (e.g., 'He has a recurrent pericarditis').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is caused by blocked blood flow to heart muscle. Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac around the heart, though both can cause chest pain.
Typically, it is not fatal and resolves with treatment. However, complications like cardiac tamponade (fluid compressing the heart) can be life-threatening but are rare.
Treatment focuses on the cause and reducing inflammation, often using anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or colchicine. For bacterial causes, antibiotics are used.
It is a chronic form where the pericardium becomes scarred and stiff, losing elasticity and restricting the heart's normal filling.
Inflammation of the pericardium, the double-walled sac surrounding the heart.
Pericarditis is usually technical/medical in register.
Pericarditis: in British English it is pronounced /ˌper.ɪ.kɑːˈdaɪ.tɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌper.ə.kɑːrˈdaɪ.t̬əs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
PERI (around) + CARD (heart) + ITIS (inflammation) = inflammation around the heart.
Conceptual Metaphor
The heart's protective bag is on fire (inflammation).
Practice
Quiz
Which finding is most characteristic of pericarditis?