Prognosis and ICU outcome of systemic vasculitis.

Background: Systemic vasculitis may cause life threatening complications requiring admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of systemic vasculitis patients admitted to the ICU and to identify prognosis factors.

Methods: During a ten-year period, records of 31 adult patients with systemic vasculitis admitted to ICUs (median age: 63 y.

Clinical review of eight patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) even in the absence of superinfection, and this condition requires mechanical ventilation. We describe herein the characteristics and outcomes of 8 patients with this association hospitalized in a French teaching hospital between 1997 and 2006.