RESUMO
Cardiovascular diseases are the cause for 45 percent mortality and 20 percent morbidity in haemodialysis [HD] patients. Pericardial effusion [PE] accounts for 03 - 04 percent of all deaths in HD patients as a result of tamponade, arrhythmias or- heart failure. This study aims to find out the prevalence and precipitating factors for PE in haemodialysis patients. Fifty five patients were identified for echo-cartographic assessment on the basis of signs and symptoms suggestive of PE i.e., hypotension during dialysis, dyspnea, globular heart in chest x-ray, raised JVP, soft heart sounds and low voltage EGG. A matched controlled group of 55 patients for age, sex, dialysis schedule, cause of ESRD and dialysis bath, was also studied echocardiographically. Pericardial Effusion was detected in 12 patients [10.9 percent], 10 [83.3 percent] were on 2/week and only two on 3/week dialysis. Of these 75 percent were non-compliant in fluid intake and 58.3 percent were irregular in treatment. The morbidity of PE in study group [18.2 percent] is significantly higher as compared to controls [3.6 percent] [P = <0.05]. No correlation was found between development of PE and high iPTH and low albumin levels. Ten patients with mild PE responded to vigorous dialysis. Two patients developed cardiac tamponade needing pericardiocentesis. We have identified 2/week dialysis [inadequate dialysis dose], acetate bath and fluid and dialysis non-compliance as factors contributing to development of PE in HD patients