Nursing Interventions: Pericarditis

1. Stress the importance of bed rest,
2. Assist the patient with bathing if necessary.
3. Provide a bedside commode because this method puts less stress on the heart rather than using a bed pan.
4. Place the patient in upright position to relieve dyspnea and chest pain.
5. Provide analgesics to relieve pain and oxygen to prevent tissue hypoxia.
6. Assess the patient’s cardiovascular status frequently, watching for signs of cardiac tamponade.
7. Monitor the patient’s pain level and the effectiveness of analgesics.
8. Explain all tests and treatments to the patient.
9. Before giving antibiotics, obtain a patient history for allergy.
10. Tell the patient to resume his daily activities slowly and to schedule rest periods into his daily routine for a while.