[Characteristics of effusive pericarditis in N'Djamena (Chad)]

INTRODUCTION

Pericarditis is a commun cause of hospitalisation in cardiology and internal medicine wards.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of effusive pericarditis at the Department of cardiology of the National Referral Teaching Hospital of N'Djamena, Chad.

METHODS

We undertook a descriptive cross-sectional study from January 2017 to December 2019. Patients presenting with effusive pericarditis and who consent to participate were consecutively enrolled during the study period.

RESULTS

Overall, 1805 patients were hospitalized at the department of cardiology during the study period with effusive pericarditis accounting for 4.3% of all cases (n = 78). Patients' mean age was 35.84 ± 14 years, [range 16 and 73 years]. The sex ratio was 0.89. Exertional dyspnea, chest pain, poor general condition and fever were main symptoms reported in 90%, 89%, 81% and 51% of the cases respectively. Pericardial rub was found in 51% of the study patients. Eighteen patients (26%) were HIV positive and 97% of the study patients had cardiomegaly. ECG demonstrated low QRS voltage (97%) and diffuse abnormalities of repolarisation (96%). Pericardial effusion was found abundant in 57% of the cases. Etiologies of effusive pericarditis were mainly tuberculosis (47%), idiopathic (21%) and HIV infection (13%). Thirty patients (43%) benefited from pericardiocentesis. The in-hospital mortality rate of the disease was 17%.

CONCLUSION

Effusive pericarditis is frequent and associated with poor outcome. Treatment depends on etiology dominated by tuberculosis in Chad.