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Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. About 3-4% of hospitalized TB patients require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU); the mortality in these patients is around 50-60%. There is limited literature on the evaluation and management of patients with TB who required ICU admission. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) constituted a working group to develop a position paper that provides recommendations on the various aspects of TB in the ICU setting based on available evidence. Seven domains were identified including the categorization of TB in the critically ill, diagnostic workup, drug therapy, TB in the immunocompromised host, organ support, infection control, and post-TB sequelae. Forty-one questions pertaining to these domains were identified and evidence-based position statements were generated, where available, keeping in focus the critical care aspects. Where evidence was not available, the recommendations were based on consensus. This position paper guides the approach to and management of critically ill patients with TB. How to cite this article: Chacko B, Chaudhry D, Peter JV, Khilnani G, Saxena P, Sehgal IS, et al. isccm Position Statement on the Approach to and Management of Critically Ill Patients with Tuberculosis. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(S2):S67-S91.

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Small bone involvement caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is an uncommon clinical entity. Usually, the condition is linked to the spread of bacteria from the lungs. It is rather uncommon for people without pulmonary seeding, trauma, or a history of tuberculosis to experience isolated episodes of spina ventosa. We describe a rare case of an immunocompetent Indian woman, aged 25, who complained of swelling in her left thumb. The diagnosis of primary tubercular dactylitis of the thumb was made after a thorough clinical and laboratory workup, and she received conservative treatment.

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Disseminated tuberculosis is more prevalent in immunocompromised hosts; however, it can affect people with intact immune systems. Here, we present a case of an immunocompetent young woman who presented with headache, vomiting, and dizziness for the past two months. There was a history of significant weight loss during this period. Examination revealed postural hypotension and positive cerebellar signs. Imaging of the brain revealed a conglomerate mass in the cerebellar vermis suggestive of tuberculoma. Tubercle bacilli were detected in gastric lavage specimens. Laboratory investigations revealed hyponatremia with low serum osmolality. Further investigations showed low serum cortisol and high adrenocorticotrophic hormone levels. CT of the abdomen revealed atrophy of both adrenal glands. Our patient was diagnosed with cerebellar dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency secondary to disseminated tuberculosis. We started the patient on antituberculous drugs, along with mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid replacement. Subsequent follow-up showed significant improvement in symptoms. Hence, timely diagnosis of the disease is essential to prevent lethal outcomes.

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Rectal tuberculosis is an uncommon entity. It has unique epidemiological features, specific medical treatment and surgery is rarely indicated. The first case of rectal tuberculosis was reported in 1957. Delayed diagnosis is common. Patients who develop rectal tuberculosis have been reported to have some risk factors or associated comorbid conditions or pathologies with some form of abnormal host-defence mechanism such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, complement deficiency. Rectal tuberculosis has been reported to be more common in females as compared to males. Haematochezia is the most common presenting symptom. The definite diagnosis requires demonstration of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacillus on histopathologic examination. Once a correct diagnosis has been made, rectal tuberculosis is curable with antituberculous treatment. Surgery is indicated for diagnostic dilemmas, non-responsive disease and complications. The authors encountered 3 cases in the last 10 years. The aim of this study is to provide our data on this rare disease and to review the reported literature comprehensively so as to provide guidelines for diagnosis and management.

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Objetivo: describir la incidencia de tuberculosis urogenital (TBUG) en los dos centros de referencia diagnóstica del sistema de salud público del departamento de Cochabamba. Métodos: estudio transversal retrospectivo desde enero de 2013 a marzo de 2020; población de estudio: pacientes con sospecha de TBUG con solicitud de cultivo para BK. Recolección de datos: base de datos de los laboratorios y revisión de los expedientes clínicos. Resultados: se identificó a 2266 pacientes con sospecha clínica de TBUG a los que se les realizó cultivos de orina para TB; de los cuales 133 (5,87%) pacientes resultaron con cultivo positivo: 87 de sexo masculino (65,4%) y 46 de sexo femenino (34,6%); De estos, 115 pacientes no cuentan con un seguimiento completo clínico ni microbiológico, de los cuales el 83,3% tenía TB renal, 11,1% genital y 5,6% vesical; el 77,8 % presentaron síntomas del tracto urinario inferior, 33,3 % tenía algún tipo de comorbilidad y 1 requirió cirugía urológica. El tratamiento antituberculoso fue el estándar en el 100%, 1 presentó reacción adversa, pero ninguna resistencia ni defunciones asociadas al tratamiento. Discusión: la incidencia del 5,87% no es despreciable, debido a que se requiere un alto índice de sospecha y contar con el cultivo para el diagnóstico, seguimiento y finalización de la terapia y de este modo disminuir el daño irreversible que afectan la funcionalidad.

Objective: to determine the incidence of urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) in the 2 diagnostic reference centers of Cochabamba. Methods: retrospective cross-sectional study from January 2013 to March 2020; Study population: patients with suspected UGTB with culture request for BK. Data collection: Laboratory database and review of clinical records. Results: 2266 patients with clinical suspicion of UGTB who had urine cultures for TB were identified; of which 133 (5.87%) patients were culture positive: 87 male (65.4%) and 46 female (34.6%); Of these, 115 patients do not have complete follow-up and only 18 patients were evaluated, of which 83.3% had renal TB, 11.1% genital and 5.6% bladder; 77.8% had lower urinary tract symptoms, 33.3% had some type of comorbidity and 1 required urological surgery. Antituberculosis treatment was standard in 100%, 1 presented adverse reaction, but no resistance or deaths associated with the treatment. Discussion: the incidence of 5.87% is not negligible, due to the fact that a high index of suspicion is required and to have the culture for diagnosis, follow-up and termination of therapy and thus reduce irreversible damage affecting functionality.

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Coexistence of carcinoma colon and tuberculosis is rare. The aim of this study is to present our 12-year experience on colonic carcinoma with coexisting colonic TB. Histopathology and imaging records of 189 patients of colonic carcinoma patients who underwent treatment in surgical unit 6 in our institute between January 2006 and December 2017 were reviewed. In 7 patients, histopathology and/or imaging studies were suggestive of coexistence of colonic carcinoma and tuberculosis. Fifteen cases of colonic tuberculosis were also reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Colonoscopic biopsy was suggestive of only malignant lesion in 6 cases and coexistence of TB and carcinoma in 1 case. The duration of symptoms spanned between 2 and 7 weeks. Anorexia and weight loss were the predominant symptoms. Colonoscopic biopsy was suggestive of only malignant lesion in 6 cases and coexistence of TB and carcinoma in 1 case. The morbidity was low and there was no surgery associated mortality. Clinical awareness and advancement in diagnostic studies and improvement in management strategies may guide and lead to early diagnosis, optimum therapeutic guidelines and thus improved outcome.

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BACKGROUND: The therapeutic response of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTBL) may be delayed or paradoxical, with the frequent development of residual lymph nodes (LNs) during and after antituberculous treatment. We investigated the incidence of residual LNs and the clinical, radiological, microbiological, and pathologic responses of patients with CTBL after 6 months of antituberculous therapy. METHODS: The medical records of HIV-negative adult patients with CTBL diagnosed between July 2009 and December 2017 were analyzed. After 6 months of first-line antituberculous treatment, computed tomography (CT) scans were conducted to evaluate for residual LNs. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was carried out if a patient presented with residual LNs > 10 mm in diameter with central necrosis, peripheral rim enhancement, or perinodal inflammation on CT scan. RESULTS: Residual LNs were detected in 35 of 157 patients who underwent follow-up CT scans and were more commonly observed in younger patients who completed the treatment (mean years ± standard deviation [SD]: 33 ± 13 vs. 44 ± 16, p < 0.001). The recurrence rate was approximately 5%, which was not significantly different in both groups. Among the 15 patients who underwent FNAB, 3 (30%) presented with granuloma, and 2 of 15 and 10 of 14 patients had positive AFB and TB PCR results, respectively. The TB culture results of 15 patients were negative. CONCLUSIONS: Residual LNs may still be observed after 6 months of antituberculous treatment. Although the radiologic and pathologic findings after treatment are still indicative of TB, not all residual LNs indicate recurrence or treatment failure. A six-month therapy may be sufficient for cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis.

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Tuberculosis of the stomach is an extremely rare manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and mimics gastric carcinoma in its presentation. Most of our knowledge about this rare disease comes from case reports and there are only a few case series published on this disease and thus the majority of the part remains uncovered. Diagnosis is made commonly only after a major surgery. Endoscopy and guided biopsy are the diagnostic modality of choice. Surgery is indicated in cases which present with complications. Patients respond well to antituberculous therapy. The authors encountered 4 cases of gastric tuberculosis over 5 years. This study summarises the available literature and gives comprehensive update on this rare disease.

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BACKGROUND: Patients with brain tuberculomas are generally managed with 12-18 months of antituberculous treatment (ATT) with or without surgery. However, a subset of these patients may require ATT for longer periods. We studied the factors that were associated with the need for prolonged ATT (>24 months) in patients with brain tuberculomas. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with intracranial tuberculomas managed from January 2000 to December 2015 if they were followed up until completion of therapy and resolution of the tuberculoma/s. The predictive factors analyzed were the number of lesions (solitary vs. multiple), location (infratentorial vs. supratentorial and infratentorial), previous ATT treatment (yes vs. no), surgery (yes vs. no), and size of the lesion (≤2.5 cm vs. >2.5 cm). RESULTS: Of the 86 patients, 19 (22%) received ATT for >2 years. On multivariate analysis, multiple lesions were significantly associated with the need for prolonged ATT (P = 0.02). Size of the tuberculoma showed a trend toward significance (P = 0.06), with tuberculomas >2.5cm having a 3.68 times increased risk of requiring prolonged ATT. CONCLUSIONS: Although 78% of brain tuberculomas resolve with 12-24 months of ATT, 22% required >24 months of ATT. Multiple tuberculomas had significant association with prolonged ATT, with a median duration of resolution of 36 months. Because tuberculomas >2.5 cm were likely to need longer duration of ATT, brain tuberculomas that require surgery should be excised totally or reduced in size to <2.5 cm to enable early resolution.

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It has been approximately five decades since Dastur et al., published their seminal work on pathology of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Though most of their findings find relevance in today's era, there is an important difference; these findings can now be replicated during life using modern day technology. In this article, we review the seminal words of Professor Dastur and colleagues, analyse their findings, interpret how these revolutionized our understanding of TBM and highlight their relevance in today's era. We also discuss challenges in the management of TBM, which we continue to face today and the various options required to overcome these challenges.

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INTRODUCTION: A case of seronegative variety of subtalar joint arthritis was treated with subtalar joint fusion surgery. In spite of perfect execution of surgery, fusion did not occur. It was only at a revision surgery that case could be diagnosed as a case of tuberculosis of subtalar joint. CASE REPORT: Elderly female was operated for seronegative subtalar joint arthritis with fusion plus primary bone grafting. Fusion did not progress in spite of every added efforts such as extended immobilization, calcium supplements, and antibiotic therapy. Revision surgery was undertaken considering the reason of failure being a low-grade infection. At a revision surgery, case was diagnosed as a case of tuberculosis of subtalar joint, a very rare presentation. Fusion succeeded just with addition of antituberculous therapy supported with short-term immobilization. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis of the foot and ankle joints, though are rare, they can mimic like many other disorders. In developing countries, a high index of suspicion is warranted to early diagnose it.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: As increasing numbers of Crohn's disease (CD) cases are being recognized in India, so the differential diagnosis of CD and gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB) is becoming increasingly important. If patients are misdiagnosed with GITB, toxicity may result from unnecessary anti-TB therapy and treatment of the primary disease (ie, CD) gets delayed. We therefore aimed to assess the accuracy of various parameters that can be used to predict GITB diagnosis at index evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, unicentric, observational study carried out in the gastroenterology department of a tertiary care hospital between August 2011 and January 2013. Patients who presented to our hospital and were suspected of having GITB were included in our study. Patients were then followed up over a 6-month period. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Chi-square test was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Of the 69 patients with GITB, 49 (71.01%) had thickening of the involved part of the colon and 33 (47.83%) had abdominal lymphadenopathy. The ileocecal valve was involved in 58 patients (84.05%) Histological detection of granulomas had 78.95% specificity, 36.23% sensitivity, and 51.40% accuracy. Tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction was found to have 78.95% specificity, 71.01% sensitivity, and 73.83% accuracy. BACTEC-MGIT culture was found to have 100% specificity, 20.29% sensitivity, and 48.60% accuracy. CONCLUSION: Although histology is helpful in ruling out other conditions, TB-specific findings such as caseating granuloma and acid-fast bacilli are rarely seen. Instead, tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction has the highest diagnostic accuracy followed by BACTEC culture.

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An infant of 32 weeks gestation was separated from her mother at birth for treatment of hyaline membrane disease and, on recovery, was cared for by adoptive parents. At 25 days, she was treated for pneumonia with immunoglobulins and multiple antibiotics and appeared to respond. Her symptoms recurred at 8 weeks and tuberculosis was confirmed by detection in an acid-fast bacilli smear of gastric aspirate. Her mother presented with disseminated tuberculosis with meningitis 1 month after delivery. Criteria for the diagnosis of congenital tuberculosis in the infant were confirmed.

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BACKGROUND: Isolated tuberculous tenosynovitis and bursitis are rare among musculoske let al tuberculosis, but it is one of the major causes for chronic tendon sheath infection in developing countries. In hand, it is usually presented as a compound palmer ganglion (radio ulnar bursa), tenosynovitis of the flexer tendon sheaths and very few cases of tubercular tenosynovitis affecting the extensor tendons also are reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We are reporting a rare case of tuberculous extensor tenosynovitis with rupture of the extensor digitorum tendon in an elderly Indian man. This case report and review meets the ethical standard of the journal. CONCLUSION: Delayed diagnosis of tuberculous tenosynovitis is due to numerous differential diagnoses and slow progression. For all chronic synovitis around the wrist, consider Mycobacterial infection as an important differential diagnosis. Early diagnosis, radical excision combined with multidrug antituberculous therapy gives good functional results.

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INTRODUCTION: The features of paradoxical reactions (PR) that occurred in non-HIV infected patients are rare and not well known. CASE REPORT: The authors reported the case of a 21years old, non-immunocompromised, and HIV negative patient treated for disseminated tuberculosis. PR occurred after 8months after initiation of antituberculous treatment. PR presented as left cervical lymphadenopathy, pulmonary, pleural, costal and spinal location of the tuberculosis. The antituberculous drugs were prolonged. Patient's clinical symptoms improved initially. However, left inguinal lymphadenopathy appeared after 20months of antituberculous therapy. Inguinal lymph node biopsy revealed tuberculous lymphadenitis. The patient has a good compliance to the treatment. The patient was continued on same antituberculous treatment for a total of 28months. The cervical and inguinal lymphadenopathy disappeared and CT scan showed regression of thoracic, abdominal, costal and spinal lesions. CONCLUSION: PR during antituberculous treatment must be considered after exclusion of other causes. No consensus on the therapeutic management of this entity has been developed to date.

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The incidence of tuberculosis decreases. However, clinical cases frequently raise questions, mainly in the context of contact tracing or when antimicrobial resistance is suspected. Empiric standard treatment consists of rifampin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. This initial regimen aims to reduce the number of pathogenic germs while the consolidation therapy should eradicate the remaining pathogens. Treatment duration and adherence are crucial for cure. For the treatment of latent tuberculosis the traditional 6 to 9 months isoniazid regimen is still the treatment of choice. In complex cases such as tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients or if resistant tuberculosis is suspected, patients should be referred to a specialized center.

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As a cause of spinal cord compression, intramedullary spinal tuberculoma with central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare. Aurthors report a 66-year-old female presented with multiple CNS tuberculomas including spinal intramedullary tuberculoma manifesting paraparesis and urinary dysfunction. We review the clinical menifestation and experiences of previous reported literature.

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BACKGROUND: Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum is usually an initial clue in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB); however, the test is not disease-specific. Nontuberculous mycobacterium-related colonization or lung disease often has AFB smear-positive sputum results, and physicians may prescribe unnecessary antituberculous drugs for these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who received unnecessary anti-TB treatment. METHODS AND PATIENTS: From January 2008 to July 2011, we retrospectively enrolled 97 patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who did not have pulmonary TB according to mycobacterial cultures and clinical judgment. We analyzed the clinical and radiographic features of the patients who received inappropriate and unnecessary anti-TB treatment. Preliminary analyses of chisquare and Fisher's exact tests were applied to determine factors unlikely to be associated with the independent variables. The relationship between independent covariates was then analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 97 enrolled patients, 25 (25.8%) were diagnosed with pulmonary TB and prescribed anti-TB drugs (mostly a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide). The other 72 (74.2%) patients were not initially diagnosed with pulmonary TB and were classified as the control group. Compared to the control group, the patients who received inappropriate anti-TB treatment had more chronic cough as presentation symptom and heavy AFB Ziehl-Neelsen staining in sputum (>10/100 fields, grading 2+ to 4+). There were no significant differences in the radiographic analysis between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Among the patients with AFB smear-positive sputum that did not have pulmonary TB, chronic cough and heavy AFB staining (2+ to 4+) were risk factors for the inappropriate administration of unnecessary anti-TB treatment.

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As a cause of spinal cord compression, intramedullary spinal tuberculoma with central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare. Aurthors report a 66-year-old female presented with multiple CNS tuberculomas including spinal intramedullary tuberculoma manifesting paraparesis and urinary dysfunction. We review the clinical menifestation and experiences of previous reported literature.

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BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Modern antituberculous treatment can cure most patients; cure rates > 95% are achieved with standard short-course chemotherapy regimens containing isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol among patients with drug-susceptible strains of tuberculosis; however, a small proportion do not respond to treatment or develop serious adverse events. Pharmacogenomic studies of drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis could help us understand intersubject variations in treatment response. In this review, we compiled pharmacogenomic data on antituberculous drugs that were available from different settings that would give a better insight into the role of pharmacogenomics in the treatment of tuberculosis, thereby enhancing the efficacy and limiting the toxicity of existing antituberculosis medications. METHODS: The PubMed database was searched from 1960 to the present using the keywords "tuberculosis", "antituberculosis treatment", "isoniazid", "rifampicin", "pyrazinamide", "ethambutol", "pharmacogenomics", and "polymorphism". Abstracts from meetings and review articles were included. CONCLUSION: Studies conducted in different settings suggest that pharmacogenomics plays a significant role in isoniazid metabolism, and impacts both treatment efficacy and frequency of adverse reactions. Single nucleotide polymorphisms influencing plasma rifampicin concentrations are also reported. No data are available regarding other first-line drugs, ie, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. There is a need to incorporate pharmacogenomics into clinical trials of tuberculosis in order to understand the factors impacting therapeutic success and occurrence of adverse drug effects.