title: Factors associated with mortality among patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis requiring intensive care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to identify patient characteristics and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) management.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients with active PTB admitted to the ICU at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, between January 2005 and December 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2,155 patients with active PTB diagnosed, of whom 83 (3.9%) patients were admitted to the ICU, but eight were excluded because their admission to the ICU was unrelated to PTB. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (n = 23, 30.7%) and immunocompromised host (n = 25, 33.3%). A few (n = 4, 5.3%) of the patients had HIV coinfection. A majority (n = 67, 89.3%) of patients required mechanical ventilation and the mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 8.05 ± 14.43 days. Mean duration of ICU stay and hospital stay were 10.23 ± 15.8 days and 33.7 ± 50.7 days, respectively. In-hospital mortality was 62.7% (n = 47), and 36 of these patients died while in the ICU (ICU mortality, 48.0%). Univariate analysis identified ischaemic heart disease, low albumin, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score, disseminated intravascular coagulation, shock and multiorgan failure as significantly associated with mortality. Multivariate analysis showed that low albumin on the day of ICU admission was the only significant independent predictor of death (p = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-hospital mortality from active PTB requiring ICU admission was 62.7%, and low albumin was an independent predictor of mortality in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wann Jia
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.affiliation: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chian Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Loo
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Su Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Low
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; human immunodeficiency virus; intensive care unit; pulmonary tuberculosis