title: Tuberculosis mortality: patient characteristics and causes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the antibiotic era, tuberculosis (TB) still causes a substantial number of mortalities. We aimed to identify the causes and risks of death among TB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of mortality cases of culture-proven TB diagnosed during 2003-2007 were reviewed. All TB deaths were classified into 2 groups (TB-related and non-TB-related), based on the underlying cause of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 2016 cases (male: 71.1%) of culture-proven TB were identified. The mean age was 59.3 (range: 0.3-96) years. The overall mortality rate was 12.3% (249 cases) and the mean age at death was 74 years; 17.3% (43 cases) of all TB deaths were TB-related. Most of the TB-related deaths occurred early (median survival: 20 days), and the patient died of septic shock. Malignancy, liver cirrhosis, renal failure, and miliary and pneumonic radiographic patterns were all independent predictors for all TB deaths. Cavitary, miliary and pneumonic radiographic patterns were all significant predictive factors for TB-related death. Extrapulmonary involvement and liver cirrhosis were also factors contributing to TB-related death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of TB deaths were ascribed to non-TB-related causes. Managing TB as well as underlying comorbidities in a multidisciplinary approach is essential to improve the outcome of patients in an aging population. However, the clinical manifestations of patients with TB-related death vary; many progressed to fulminant septic shock requiring timely recognition with prompt treatment to prevent early death.
authors.forename: Chou-Han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chou-Jui
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yao-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Jann-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chia-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wern-Cherng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, No,7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan. linalee@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult