[The problems of treating acute critical states in diffuse connective tissue diseases]

Critical conditions had been established in 21 (23.1%) of 91 patients with systemic connective tissue diseases for a 12 year period: renal failure (most often), sepsis, pericarditis with cardiac tamponade, hemorrhagic diathesis, terminal arteritis with gangrene, gastrointestinal perforations with peritonitis, etc. The corticosteroids applied in high doses and predominantly parenterally and the immunosuppressors are the main drugs used in the treatment of these conditions. Plasmapheresis when possible is a useful supplement. The prognosis of the acute critical conditions depends mainly on the affected organ (more favorable in pericarditis with tamponade and unfavorable in renal failure and gastrointestinal perforations with peritonitis (and on the basic disease) more optimistic in systemic lupus erythematodes and very pessimistic in nodal periarteritis and other allergic vasculitis).