Background Researchers still do not reach the consensus on the incidence, characters and the prognostic value of pericardial effusion (PE) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods 1189 patients, with a diagnosis of CHF consecutively admitted to three centers, were enrolled. M-mode echocardiography was used to determine the presence or absence of PE and to semi-quantify it. 118 patients with PE and 472 without were followed up. The relationship between the PE and other parameters and the prognostic value of PE for CHF were analysed by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results After follow up, 550 patients were analysed of which 226 were death. The incidence of PE was 9.92%. Moderate PE was the most common which account 90.68% (107/118). 6.78% (8/118) had small while only 2.54% (3/118) had large one. The systolic blood pressure [OR=1.04, 95% CI (1.01, 1.07), p=0.08], LVEF [OR=1.09, 95% CI (1.02, 1.15), p=0.06], and MPAD [OR=1.51, 95% CI (1.24, 1.85), p<0.001] were the independent predictors of PE. The GFR [OR=1.013, 95% CI (1.005, 1.026), p=0.02], systolic blood pressure [OR=1.02, 95% CI (1.00, 1.03), p=0.015], LVEF [OR=1.08, 95% CI (1.04, 1.12), p<0.001] and diabetes mellitus [OR=2.53, 95% CI (0.99, 6.44), p<0.001] were determined as the independent predictors of CHF prognosis.

Conclusion The PE is not uncommon in CHF patients and most PE are small to moderate. PE is not related to the aetiology of CHF while is strongly connected with higher systolic blood pressure, lower LVEF and larger MPAD. PE dose not add the death risk of CHF patients.