title: Is acute idiopathic pericarditis associated with recent upper respiratory tract infection or gastroenteritis? A case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the association of a clinical diagnosis of acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP), and a reported upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) or gastroenteritis (GE) in the preceding month.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were hospitalised with a first diagnosis of AIP were retrospectively compared with a control group of patients admitted with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), matched by gender and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary and secondary care level; one hospital serving a population of about 170,000.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 51 patients with AIP were included, of whom 46 could be matched with 46 patients with control DVT. Only patients with a complete review of systems on the admission note were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the association of a clinical diagnosis of AIP and an infectious episode (URTI or GE) in the month preceding AIP diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with AIP had more often experienced a recent episode of URTI or GE than patients with DVT (39.1% vs 10.9%, p=0.002). The multivariate conditional regression showed that AIP was independently associated with URTI or GE in the last month preceding diagnosis (OR=37.18, 95% CI=1.91 to 724.98, p=0.017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study demonstrating an association between a recent episode of URTI or GE and a clinical diagnosis of AIP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland Department of Internal Medicine, Neuchâtelois Hospital, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delhumeau-Cartier
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Center of Bienne, Bienne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Genne
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: GENERAL MEDICINE (see Internal Medicine); INFECTIOUS DISEASES