Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The most characteristic symptom of acute pericarditis is chest pain that is typically sharp and pleuritic, often worsening when lying down and improving when sitting up or leaning forward. This pain is caused by inflammation of the pericardium, the protective sac surrounding the heart. Unlike the pain associated with myocardial infarction, pericarditis pain often changes with position and respiration. While fever and tachycardia can occur in pericarditis, they are not as specific or characteristic as the positional chest pain. Shortness of breath may be present but is typically not the primary or most characteristic symptom.