Pericarditis Acute clinical trials

Dexamethasone Compared to Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in the Treatment of Acute Pericarditis

The treatment of acute pericarditis is empiric and is based on treatment with medications with anti-inflammatory properties such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and corticosteroids. However, this therapy is given as a relatively long course of therapy (≥ 3 weeks) and can be associated with substantial side effects. Dexamethasone is a potent corticosteroid that has not been investigated an alternative to conventional therapy in patients with acute pericarditis. Dexamethasone is an inexpensive drug and can be given in an oral tablet form. It has a quick onset of action, relatively long duration of action and is therefore often given in high doses for short periods. Dexamethasone has been shown to be a safe therapeutic option in ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenia), another disease in which steroids are an accepted treatment option. The abundant data on using dexamethasone in comparison to longer prednisone-based regimens has been evaluated in this disease and has shown to be effective and without the longer exposure time to steroids and potential side effects. This data shows that dexamethasone can be a safe therapeutic option. The investigators hypothesize that therapy with short term, high dose dexamethasone will offer better clinical responses to NSAID therapy in the treatment of acute pericarditis with less potential side effects compared to NSAID therapy. The Investigators aim to conduct a randomised, non-blinded trial assessing the use of dexamethasone as an alternative to NSAID for use in patients with acute pericarditis.