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Major and minor clinical prognostic predictors for pericarditis have been described as follows:
Major: fever > 38 degrees C, subacute onset, large effusion, tamponade, lack of response to aspirin or NSAIDs after at least 1 week of therapy
Minor: myopericarditis, immunodepression, trauma, oral anticoagulant therapy
Patients with any of these criteria [major or minor] should strongly be considered for admission. In the absence of these factors, studies show that patients managed as outpatients do well.
[Imazio M, Spodick DH, Brucato A, et al. Controversial issues in the management of pericardial diseases. Circulation 2010;121:916-928.]