Introduction:
Cardiac tamponade is a critical condition that occurs after a sudden and excessive accu­mulation of fluid in the pericardial space. It restricts the appropriate filling of the cardiac chambers, disturbing normal hemodynamics, and ultimately causing hypotension and cardiac arrest. Prompt, accurate diagnosis and treatment with percutaneous drainage can minimize patients’ mortality.

Material and methods:
Fifteen HIV-positive patients with cardiac tamponade were admitted to a tertiary hospital between January 2013 and January 2019. After clinical examination and echocardiographic assessment, all patients were subjected to emergency ericardiocentesis for both therapeutic purposes. Three samples of the aspirate were sent for biochemical, serological, and cytological analysis. Collected data were analyzed.

Results:
HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy, including 5 females (33.3%) and 10 males (66.7%), were followed up for 6 years. The mean age was 40.2 years, and the mean CD4+ count was 502/mm3. Echocardiographic abnormalities were significantly more common in HIV-positive cases with cardiac tamponade with systolic and diastolic dysfunction. The overall mortality rate in the study was 13%.

Conclusions:
In general, cardiac abnormalities are more common in HIV-infected people. HIV- positive patients with a CD4+ cell count > 200/mm3 had no echocardiographic abnormalities. Patients with a more advanced infection and those with a CD4+ cell count < 200/mm3 had a significantly abnormal left ventricular systolic function and a higher incidence of cardiac tamponade. A careful initial evaluation with clinical, serologic, and echocardiographic assessment is necessary to detect cardiac tamponade in HIV-infected cases.