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.