Double blind randomised placebo controlled trial of adjunctive prednisolone in the treatment of eVusive tuberculous pericarditis in HIV seropositive patients

Objective—To determine the eVect of adjunctive prednisolone on morbidity, pericardial fluid resolution, and mortality in HIV seropositive patients with eVusive tuberculous pericarditis. Design—Double blind randomised placebo controlled trial. Setting—Two medical school aYliated referral hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe. Patients—58 HIV seropositive patients aged 18–55 years with tuberculous pericarditis. Interventions—All patients received standard short course antituberculous chemotherapy and were randomly assigned to receive prednisolone or placebo for six weeks. Main outcome measures—Clinical improvement, echocardiographic and radiologic pericardial fluid resolution, and death. Results—29 patients were assigned to prednisolone and 29 to placebo. After 18 months of follow up there were five deaths in the prednisolone treated group and 10 deaths in the placebo group. Mortality was significantly lower in the prednisolone group (log rank ÷ = 8.19, df = 1, p = 0.004). Resolution of raised jugular venous pressure (p = 0.017), hepatomegaly (p = 0.007), and ascites (p = 0.015), and improvement in physical activity (p = 0.02), were significantly more rapid in the prednisolone treated patients. However, there was no diVerence in the rate of radiologic and echocardiographic resolution of pericardial eVusion. Conclusions—Adjunctive prednisolone for eVusive tuberculous pericarditis produced a pronounced reduction in mortality. It is suggested prednisolone should be added to standard short course chemotherapy to treat HIV related eVusive tuberculous pericarditis. (Heart 2000;84:183–188)