Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Patient with Tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major cause of death worldwide and can have varying manifestations. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rare complication of the clinical course of TB but carries a high mortality rate. We present a case of a diabetic African-American patient, with acute respiratory failure, rapidly progressing to ARDS secondary to TB, which had a fatal outcome. Clinicians should keep a high suspicion index for TB in the setting of ARDS since the use of empiric anti-TB treatment could potentially reduce mortality in these patients.

Lay abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infection that can affect the lungs. Acute respiratory distress syndrome rarely occurs with TB but carries a high mortality. Early treatment is important because it can reduce mortality. We present a case of TB complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome, which had an extremely poor outcome.

Keywords:

• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• mortality
• tuberculosis

Author contributions

R Hallit drafted the manuscript, gathered all information about the patient. S Hallit helped with the writing and reviewed the final version of the paper.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. The authors state that they have obtained verbal and written informed consent from the patient/patients for the inclusion of their medical and treatment history within this case report.