Mortality among patients with tuberculosis requiring intensive care: a retrospective cohort study

Background  

To describe the characteristics of patients with tuberculosis (TB) requiring intensive care and to identify the factors that predicts in-hospital mortality in a city of a developing country with intermediate-to-high TB endemicity.     

Patient mortality of active pulmonary tuberculosis requiring mechanical ventilation.

Mortality remains high among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis requiring mechanical ventilation (TBMV). This study was carried out to establish the mortality rates of TBMV and to identify factors that contribute to in-hospital mortality. From January 1996-April 2001, there were 825 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis at the National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Of these, 41 suffered acute respiratory failure and required mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Of these 41 patients, 38 were followed up for 180 days. In-hospital deaths were documented in the medical records and all possible parameters contributing to mortality were collected. Of the 41 patients, 27 died in the hospital and 14 were discharged alive (in-hospital mortality rate 65.9%), with (mean +/- SD) 40.7 +/- 35.4 admission days before death. Of the 27 that died, 25 died during ICU admission and two died after being transferred to the ward. The mortality rate for the 180-day monitoring period was 79%. Factors contributing to in-hospital mortality included consolidations on chest radiographs and multiple organ failure. The mortality rate in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis requiring mechanical ventilation is very high, with two factors affecting in-hospital mortality. These factors were multiple organ failure and consolidation on chest radiographs.     

Prognosis of patients with AIDS requiring intensive care

The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II classification, a measure of severity of illness in patients requiring intensive care, was devised before the rapid expansion of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. To determine the applicability of the APACHE II system to AIDS, we related observed in-hospital death rates to those predicted by APACHE II in 83 patients with AIDS. In a control group of patients without AIDS (n = 166) mean predicted and observed death rates (34.1 vs 31.3 percent) were similar. For the AIDS group overall observed mortality (63.9 percent) was significantly greater than that predicted by APACHE II (45.8 percent). The subgroup with Pneumocystis pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation (n = 37) had an observed mortality (86.5 percent) that significantly exceeded the predicted value (44.3 percent), whereas all other AIDS patients (n = 46) showed similar predicted and observed death rates (47.0 vs 45.7 percent). APACHE II prediction of death rate also matched observed mortality in mechanically ventilated patients without Pneumocystis infection. The discrepancy between predicted and observed mortality in patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation is most likely due to the lack of an APACHE II diagnostic category that accurately reflects the severity of this disease. A new diagnostic category that provides accurate outcome prediction in this patient group would form a basis for evaluation of new therapeutic interventions.     

Clinical characteristics and outcome of severe melioidosis requiring intensive care

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with severe melioidosis requiring intensive care. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Two ICUs from a tertiary-care teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-seven adult ICU patients with microbiologically documented melioidosis. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The median age was 59 years with a male preponderance (26:1). Twenty patients (74%) had medical comorbidities, with diabetes mellitus being the most common (59.3%). Almost all patients (96.3%) were bacteremic. Twenty patients (74.1%) presented with pneumonia. Twenty patients (74.1%) were in septic shock, and 16 patients (59.3%) had ARDS. Twelve patients (44.4%) required hemodialysis. The patients had a median of three organ dysfunctions, and the median APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II score was 27. The overall mortality was 48.1%. Mortality among patients with septic shock was 60%. The median ICU length of stay for survivors and nonsurvivors was 11 days and 2 days, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of organ dysfunctions is an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 51.4). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of severe melioidosis requiring intensive care is poor, with death being predicted by the number of organ dysfunctions.     

Auto-antibody profiles in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of a wide array of auto-antibodies in patients with tuberculosis (TB) compared with healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven consecutive patients (age 47 +/- 21 years, 29 males) with recently diagnosed active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and 39 healthy controls were enrolled. Data collected on a questionnaire included clinical features of the disease, duration of symptoms, presence of fever, cough, arthralgia, myalgia, sicca symptoms and others. Serum samples were collected from the patients' before initiating TB treatment, frozen at -20 degrees C and tested for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-ds DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Ro, anti-La, and anti-cardiolipin (ACA) (IgG and IgM). RESULTS: Rheumatic symptoms were relatively rare: arthralgia (n = 2), myalgias (n = 2), and eye (n = 1) and mouth dryness (n = 4). The TB patients' mean serum levels of anti-ds DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-SSA (anti-Ro), and anti-ACA-IgM were significantly increased compared with controls (P < 0.05 for all). A significantly higher proportion of TB patients had increased pathological levels of anti-ds DNA (32% vs. 2.5%), anti-Sm (38% vs. 0%), anti-RNP (15% vs. 0%), anti-Ro (64% vs. 10%), anti-ACA-IgG (59% vs. 0%) and anti-ACA-IgM (47% vs. 7.7%) (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with active TB have significantly increased titres of various auto-antibodies, including highly specific serological markers, such as anti-Sm. RELEVANCE: Differential interpretation of serological studies of patients with systemic manifestations should consider the possibility of PTB.     

Predicting outcome from intensive care for patients with rheumatologic diseases.

OBJECTIVE. To evaluate 2 prognostic scoring systems in patients with an underlying rheumatologic diagnosis admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS. A retrospective case series review, carried out at a medical ICU in a military referral hospital. All adult ICU admissions with a known rheumatologic diagnosis were evaluated during 28 consecutive months. There were 48 ICU admissions available for review in 36 patients (1.33 ICU admissions/patient) during the study period. All patients were assigned an APACHE II and TISS score based on the first 24 h of ICU admission. RESULTS. Eleven ICU admissions resulted in patient death (22.9%) and the remaining 37 admissions (77.1%) in patient survival and hospital discharge. Overall patient mortality was 30.6% for the study population. The APACHE II and TISS scores were each significantly different for survivor and nonsurvivor subgroups (APACHE II p less than 0.0001; TISS p less than 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. In this group of patients evaluated at a single institution both the APACHE II and TISS scoring systems allowed subgroup separation between survivors and nonsurvivors of ICU admission. However, these scoring methods demonstrated limitations in terms of outcome prediction when applied to the individual patient.     

Treatment outcome of relapse and defaulter pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

SETTING: Tuberculosis clinic in a referral hospital. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of risk factors on the outcome of retreatment in relapse and defaulter pulmonary tuberculosis patients. DESIGN: A total of 57 retreatment tuberculosis patients treated and monitored in our centre between January 1997 and June 1999 were evaluated with respect to treatment outcome. Factors which have on effect on treatment outcome were investigated. RESULTS: Of 57 patients, 37 (64.9%) were classified as relapse cases and 20 (35.1%) as defaulters. The treatment success rate was 71.9% (68.4% cure rate and 3.5% completion rate). Failure was encountered in 22.8%. Twenty-six patients (45.6%) exhibited resistance to at least one drug, namely rifampicin. The multidrug-resistance (MDR) rate was 18.5%. Treatment success rates were 100% and 50%, respectively, in patients in whom susceptibility to all drugs and resistance to at least one drug were detected. Successful outcome was possible in 68.8% of patients with any rifampicin resistance and in 20% of patients with MDR tuberculosis. Retreatment resulted in failure in 80% and 100%, respectively, of patients whose sputum cultures remained positive at the end of the second and third months. CONCLUSION: Drug resistance proved the most important factor affecting treatment outcome. Success rates in retreatment of patients with any rifampicin resistance or MDR tuberculosis are low. Conversion to negative sputum results at the end of the second and third months of retreatment seems to be a significant parameter for a successful outcome.     

非活动性与活动性肺结核的CT表现分析

目的: 对比分析非活动性肺结核与活动性肺结核CT表现。方法: 回顾性搜集2020年8月至2021年7月重庆市公共卫生医疗救治中心诊治的181例非活动性肺结核患者(非活动组)和 166例活动性肺结核患者(活动组),分析两组患者的胸部CT表现。结果: 非活动组病变累及1叶者[19.9%(36/181)]和2叶者[25.4%(46/181)]均明显多于活动组[分别为10.8%(18/166)和13.3%(22/166)](χ²值分别为5.392、8.128,P值分别为0.020、0.004),而5叶均受累者[21.5%(39/181)]明显低于活动组[48.2%(80/166)](χ²=27.283,P=0.000);病变在右肺中叶、下叶及左肺下叶者[分别为38.7%(70/181)、45.3%(82/181)、46.4%(84/181)]均明显少于活动组[69.9%(116/166)、77.1%(128/166)、68.7%(114/166)](χ²值分别为33.903、36.657、17.520,P值均为0.000)。非活动组中小片状实变影、干酪性病变、空洞、胸腔积液、纵隔淋巴结肿大和树芽征等CT表现的发生率[分别为22.1%(40/181)、0.6%(1/181)、16.6%(30/181)、0.6%(1/181)、18.8%(34/181)、18.2%(33/181)]均明显低于活动组[分别为80.1%(133/166)、7.2%(12/166)、27.1%(45/166)、31.9%(53/166)、53.6%(89/166)、66.9%(111/166)](χ²值分别为116.598、10.703、5.671、64.868、45.906、84.365,P值分别为0.000、0.001、0.017、0.000、0.000、0.000),但边缘清楚的支气管扩张、薄壁空洞、胸膜钙化、钙化结节、硬结性病变、纤维条索影的发生率[分别为61.3%(111/181)、12.2%(22/181)、10.5%(19/181)、34.8%(63/181)、37.0%(67/181)、91.7%(166/181)]均明显高于活动组[分别为44.0%(73/166)、4.2%(7/166)、3.6%(6/166)、16.9%(28/166)、0.6%(1/166)、27.7%(46/166)](χ²值分别为10.464、7.124、6.135、14.403、70.576、149.222,P值分别为0.001、0.008、0.013、0.000、0.000、0.000)。结论: 非活动性肺结核病变分布较少累及下叶,CT表现以纤维条索影、边缘清楚的支气管扩张、硬结性病变、结节和胸膜钙化更常见。CT检查对肺结核活动性的判断具有重要辅助诊断作用。     

青年人涂阳肺结核临床特征

目的探讨青年人涂阳肺结核的诊治和管理措施。方法对135例青年人涂阳肺结核进行分析。结果青年人以咳嗽、胸痛、发热、纳差、消瘦、盗汗为主,病程短。结论早期诊断和治疗是改善预后的关键,积极查痰及胸部X线检查,以便及早发现,及早治疗。     

Hypodense alveolar macrophages in patients with diabetes mellitus and active pulmonary tuberculosis.

SETTING: Alveolar macrophages (AM), a heterogeneous cell population, play a critical role in eliminating mycobacterial infections in collaboration with lymphocytes. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) show increased susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) infection. It is still uncertain whether there is a defect in T cell or AM activation in patients with DM against TB infection. OBJECTIVE: To study the difference in activation status of AM and T cells between patients with TB + DM and TB alone. METHOD: The heterogeneity of AM from 14 patients with TB + DM, 9 with TB alone, 10 normal subjects and 8 DM alone patients, was studied using Percoll density fractionation. The intracellular H2O2 production of AM before and after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or F-Met-Leu-Phen (FMLP) was assayed by loading cells with 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) and analyzed by flow cytometry. Lymphocytes subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8) and their activation status (CD25) in bronchoalveolar lavage were also measured. RESULTS: The proportion of the least dense AM (< 1,030 g/ml) and the magnitude of DCFH oxidation of AM was higher in TB patients than in normal subjects, regardless of DM. Patients with TB + DM had a significantly lower proportion of the least density AM fraction than TB alone patients, regardless of disease extent. Among TB patients, the proportion of the least dense AM was inversely correlated with the bacterial load on sputum and the disease extent on chest radiograph. Stimulation of AM with PMA or FMLP induced an increase in the hypodense AM subpopulations and enhanced intracellular H2O2 generation in patients with TB + DM and to a similar extent in normal subjects, but not in patients with TB alone. There was no significant difference in CD3 numbers, CD4/CD8 ratio, and CD25+ cells between patients with TB alone and TB + DM. The activation status of AM or T lymphocytes from DM alone patients was not significantly different from those from normal subjects. CONCLUSION: Hypodense subpopulations of AM increase in active TB patients and are related to the disease severity as well as activation status of AM. AM in TB patients complicated with DM was less activated, and may be contributory to the susceptibility to mycobacterial infection.     

Chest roentgenogram classification and clinical parameters in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

The relationship between the clinical parameters and chest film appearance was studied in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients with extended disease were often malnourished and had weak tuberculin reaction accompanied by lymphopenia. They excreted a large amount of mycobacterial bacilli and a longer period was required for negative conversion of sputum culture. We confirmed that the criteria for chest roentgenogram classification established by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis ("Gakkai Classification") is useful in the estimation of the risk of infection and the prognosis of tuberculosis patients.     

老年血行播散型肺结核临床特征及转归分析

目的探讨老年血行播散型肺结核(DPT)的临床特点及转归。方法入选2006年1月至2014年4月期间在北京老年医院感染疾病科进行治疗的DPT患者96例。根据年龄将所有患者分为两组:老年组(n=42)和非老年组(n=54)。回顾性分析两组患者的临床特点和转归。结果老年组患者合并症发生率显著高于非老年组(66.7%vs 24.1%;P=0.000)。与非老年组相比,老年组患者的结核菌素试验(PPD)阳性率、血红蛋白含量和白蛋白含量均显著降低,而白细胞计数显著增加(P0.05)。老年组患者的误诊率显著高于非老年组(45.2%vs 24.1%;P=0.029)。与非老年组相比,老年组患者的治愈率显著降低(52.4%vs 77.8%;P=0.009),而死亡率显著增高(11.9%vs 1.9%;P=0.044)。结论老年DPT患者治愈率低,误诊率和死亡率高,临床应予以充分重视。