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.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective, cohort study, between November 2005 and November 2007. The patients with TB requiring intensive care were included. Predictors of mortality were assessed. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality.


RESULTS
During the study period, 67 patients with TB required intensive care. Of them, 62 (92.5%) had acute respiratory failure and required mechanical ventilation. Forty-four (65.7%) patients died. Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus was present in 46 (68.7%) patients. Early intensive care unit admission and ventilator-associated pneumonia were independently associated with the in-hospital mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study we found a high mortality rate in TB patients requiring intensive care, especially in those with an early ICU admission.
Silva
Denise R
DR
Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. denise.rossato@terra.com.br
Menegotto
Diego M
DM
Schulz
Luis F
LF
Gazzana
Marcelo B
MB
Dalcin
Paulo Tr
PT
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003422:Critical Care; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D014505:Urban Population