[Risk factors for pulmonary atelectasis in adults with tracheobronchial tuberculosis]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Radiology

Context:

• Tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB) is a significant cause of airway obstruction and lung complications.
• Pulmonary atelectasis is a common complication of TBTB, leading to impaired gas exchange and increased morbidity.
• Understanding risk factors for atelectasis is crucial for timely diagnosis and management of TBTB patients.

Purpose:

• To identify independent risk factors associated with the development of pulmonary atelectasis in adult patients diagnosed with TBTB.
• To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of TBTB patients with and without pulmonary atelectasis.

Summary:

• A retrospective analysis of 258 adult TBTB patients revealed a 14.7% prevalence of pulmonary atelectasis, most commonly in the left upper lobe.
• Independent risk factors for pulmonary atelectasis included older age (OR=1.036), prior misdiagnosis (OR=2.759), longer time from symptom onset to bronchoscopy (OR=1.002), and cicatricial stricture type (OR=2.989).
• Bronchoscopic interventional therapy resulted in lung reexpansion or partial reexpansion in 86.7% of atelectasis cases.

Impact:

• Identifies key risk factors, enabling targeted screening and early intervention strategies for TBTB patients at high risk of pulmonary atelectasis.
• Emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis and bronchoscopic evaluation to reduce atelectasis incidence and improve treatment outcomes.
• Provides evidence supporting the efficacy of bronchoscopic interventions in managing TBTB-associated atelectasis.