Objective To summarize and explore the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of severe pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods One death case of pulmonary TB in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University was analyzed, related publications of case reports and articles relevant on the analysis and study of pulmonary tuberculosis deaths from Pubmed between January 2012 and March 2022 were also reviewed. Results A 25-year-old female patient was admitted for "intermittent cough with sputum for more than 1 year, aggravated with chest tightness and shortness of breath for 5 days". She had no underlying disease. Pulmonary TB was diagnosed by TB bacterium smear and next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The patient was in shock compensation period and developed acute respiratory distress syndrome immediately after admission. Through active anti-tuberculosis, invasive mechanical ventilation, intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation and continuous renal replacement therapy, the disease continued to deteriorate and she died on the third day after admission. A total of 269 pulmonary TB deaths were retrieved. An analysis of 244 patients' past medical history showed that human immunodeficiency virus co-infection was the most common among young people and chronic diseases were the most common among the elderly. All 269 patients died of septic shock, respiratory failure and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), among which hyponatremia was also a significant complication. The shortest time from admission to death was 7 days, while the longest average time was only 35 days. Conclusions Pulmonary TB could develop into septic shock and MODS with poor prognosis and high mortality. Health education on TB should be strengthened.
The significant increase in mortality after tuberculosis (TB) progression to severe disease is a major obstacle to achieving the goal of ending the TB epidemic by 2035. Up to now, there is no clear definition and diagnostic criteria for adult severe tuberculosis at home or abroad, which has a significant adverse impact on the early diagnosis and timely treatment of patients with severe tuberculosis. In order to improve the treatment level of patients with severe pulmonary tuberculosis, reduce mortality and improve prognosis. The Professional Committee of Tuberculosis Science of the Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and Shenzhen Third People's Hospital/National Clinical Medical Research Center of Infectious Diseases/Shenzhen Tuberculosis Clinical Medical Research Center led the formulation of "Guidelines for definition and diagnosis of severe pulmonary tuberculosis in adults in China (2023)", aiming to guide and standardize the definition and diagnosis of severe tuberculosis. So as to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment of severe pulmonary tuberculosis in our country, to maximize the benefit of patients.