Background
Tuberculous pericarditis can impair the heart's function and cause death; long term, it can cause the membrane to fibrose and constrict causing heart failure. In addition to antituberculous chemotherapy, treatments include corticosteroids, drainage, and surgery.
Objectives
To assess the effects of treatments for tuberculous pericarditis.
Search methods
We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (27 March 2017); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), published in the Cochrane Library (2017, Issue 2); MEDLINE (1966 to 27 March 2017); Embase (1974 to 27 March 2017); and LILACS (1982 to 27 March 2017). In addition we searched the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal using 'tuberculosis' and 'pericard*' as search terms on 27 March 2017. We searched ClinicalTrials.gov and contacted researchers in the field of tuberculous pericarditis. This is a new version of the original 2002 review.
Selection criteria
We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi‐RCTs.
Data collection and analysis
Two review authors independently screened search outputs, evaluated study eligibility, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data; and we resolved any discrepancies by discussion and consensus. One trial assessed the effects of both corticosteroid and
Mycobacterium indicus pranii
treatment in a two‐by‐two factorial design
;
we excluded data from the group that received both interventions. We conducted fixed‐effect meta‐analysis and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach.
Main results
Seven trials met the inclusion criteria; all were from sub‐Saharan Africa and included 1959 participants, with 1051/1959 (54%) HIV‐positive. All trials evaluated corticosteroids and one each evaluated colchicine,
M. indicus pranii
immunotherapy, and open surgical drainage. Four trials (1841 participants) were at low risk of bias, and three trials (118 participants) were at high risk of bias.
In people who are not infected with HIV, corticosteroids may reduce deaths from all causes (risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59 to 1.09; 660 participants, 4 trials,
low certainty evidence
) and the need for repeat pericardiocentesis (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.04; 492 participants, 2 trials,
low certainty evidence
). Corticosteroids probably reduce deaths from pericarditis (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.80; 660 participants, 4 trials,
moderate certainty evidence
). However, we do not know whether or not corticosteroids have an effect on constriction or cancer among HIV‐negative people (
very low certainty e...