Will the doctor not confide in you?
Surgery always has a risk of complications and most times, I believe, do not result in death. You friend obviously has complication and it sounds like he is getting excellent care.
The best advice I can offer is to be optimistic and maintain as much of a vigil as possible so that your friend will know you care - care from friends and loved ones always helps one heal.
Pericarditis affects the pericardium which is the sac containing the heart. This normally has a small amount of fluid to absorb any shocks when you are leaping about. Without this, the heart would be bashing against the rib cage. When infection occurs, it can cause a mass fluid build up, and it makes it harder for the heart to pump. They can put a special drain into the wall of the sac which keeps it at a particular pressure. If the infection is in the lungs too, then this is more serious and if on ventilation is classed an pneumonia. The ventilator will help breathing a lot, but the key is to get the right anti-biotics into the system. They should suction the lungs and send a sample to the lab for culture growth and analysis. This can take a little while, so a common antibiotic is given in the interim. The trouble is, they must determine if it's viral or bacterial because there are distinct antibiotics for both.
Thank u so much for your response my worry is. Is that this friend is 53 yrs old and has been a steroid abuser for the last 40 years. Huge muscle guy !! Could these complications b coming from that
Thank u so much for your response my worry is. Is that this friend is 53 yrs old and has been a steroid abuser for the last 40 years. Huge muscle guy !! Could these complications b coming from that