Risk factors for mortality in patients with tuberculosis admitted to intensive care units

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mortality of patients with tuberculosis (TB) who need to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to analyze the risk factors for mortality.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted to collect clinical data of patients with TB who were hospitalized in the ICU at Hebei Chest Hospital between 2015 and 2020. Subsequent to data collection, a rigorous statistical analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 99 patients with TB were admitted to the ICU of Hebei Chest Hospital from 2015 to 2020. After 28 days, 78 of the 99 eligible participants in this study died, while 21 survived. The mortality rate of patients with TB in the ICU was 78.79%. There was a significant difference in the length of stay in ICU, shock, drug, acute physiology, and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and albumin (p < 0.05). Further analysis indicated that the length of stay in the ICU, shock, APACHE II, and albumin were considered independent risk factors for mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In China, the mortality rate of patients with TB requiring admission to the ICU is very high. In these patients, a prolonged ICU stay, a high APACHE II score, the onset of shock in the ICU, and a low albumin level have a significant impact on the risk of mortality.

[Studies on human cytokine responses before and after praziquantel chemotherapy in an endemic area of schistosomiasis japonica]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the cellular immune responses in a population of an endemic area of schistosomiasis japonica and the influence of praziquantel treatment.

METHODS

Blood was taken from 129 residents (64 cases were egg-positive, 65 cases were egg-negitive) of an endemic area of Poyang Lake before and 45 days after praziquantel treatment. Cytokines induced by the schistosome soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble worm antigen preparations (SWAP) in the peripheral blood cells including IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-gamma were measured.

RESULTS

Among 129 cases, the cytokine levels were found much higher in egg negative individuals than in egg-positive individuals. The cytokine levels induced by both antigens were increased significantly after praziqantel treatment especially IL-5 and IFN-gamma.

CONCLUSION

The cellular immune responses in the population in schistosomiasis japonica endemic area exhibited a general trend of down-regulation and were elevated significantly after praziquantel treatment.