title: Acute respiratory distress syndrome in human granulocytic ehrlichiosis.
abstract: The ehrlichioses are emerging zoonotic infections. They have a very nonspecific clinical presentation. The diseases generally present as undifferentiated fever, but thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, and transaminitis are important laboratory features. Ehrlichiosis as a cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been infrequently described in the literature. Physicians should be aware of this life-threatening but treatable entity. We present a patient who developed ARDS shortly after being diagnosed with and initiating treatment for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). A 54-year-old woman presented with fever, hypotension, and pancytopenia, with peripheral smear diagnostic of ehrlichiosis. She was started on doxycycline therapy following which she developed ARDS which resolved with methylprednisone. The fatality for HGE has been estimated as 7-10%. ARDS secondary to Ehrlichia has been shown to respond dramatically to steroids.
authors: Rahul
authors: R
authors: Mutneja
authors: Mamta
authors: M
authors: Shah
authors: Poojita
authors: P
authors: Shivamurthy
authors: Saqib
authors: S
authors: Gowani
authors: Dana
authors: D
authors: Delgado-Colon
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Lawlor
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D004318:Doxycycline; D008775:Methylprednisolone