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

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2023-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

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.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Rabin Medical Center
• Treatments: BB 1101; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone acetate

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient with first presentation of acute pericarditis (both idiopathic and post pericardiectomy)

• Patients diagnosed according to accepted clinical findings: 2 of the 4 following criteria: chest pain, pericardial friction rub, ECG changes typical for pericarditis and/or pericardial effusion.

• Patients over the age of 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient with Uncontrolled Diabetes (as defined as hyperglycaemia >300mg/dl at presentation or HBA1C>9% (if known))

• Patients with a known allergy to steroid therapy

• Patient with a known allergy to NSAID therapy

• Patients with a known contraindication to colchicine therapy

• Pregnancy or lactating women

• Patients with systemic fungal infection

• Patients with a known pericardial effusion of tuberculous, purulent, or neoplastic causes

• Patients with chronic steroid use

• Patients with a known rheumatological disease