The following tests are useful in identifying end organ dysfunction and enabling effective resuscitative measures to be instituted early if required:
In addition blood cultures should be sent in a febrile patient.
Antimyosin cardiac imaging to demonstrate areas of cardiac myocyte necrosis and cardiac CT or MRI are all being used increasingly to investigate patients with suspected myocarditis. These are unlikely to be available as first line investigations to the emergency physician. Serological tests may be required to identify the cause of the myocarditis.