Psittacosis: diagnosis and management of severe pneumonia and multi organ failure.
Two patients were admitted directly to our Intensive Care Unit in acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia with septicaemic shock, renal and hepatic impairment. Sputum and blood cultures failed to grow any organisms and despite broad spectrum antibiotic therapy for 7 days, neither patient improved. Diagnosis of the rare pneumonic form of psittacosis was made following a raised titre. After treatment with tetracyclines, both patients made a rapid recovery. Retrospective direct questioning revealed that they had close contact with psitacine birds.
Wainwright
A P
AP
Department of Anaesthesia, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
Beaumont
A C
AC
Kox
W J
WJ
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013752:Tetracycline