Factors affecting in-hospital mortality in patients with miliary tuberculosis: A retrospective cohort study

Miliary tuberculosis (TB) is a fatal disease; thus, prompt diagnosis and immediate intervention are indispensable. However, the risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with miliary TB remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with miliary TB using a Japanese nationwide inpatient database.

Patients diagnosed with miliary TB between July 2010 and March 2022 were enrolled from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with miliary TB.

In total, 2817 patients with miliary TB and 637 (22.6%) in-hospital deaths were identified. Older age; male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.64); low body weight (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.14-1.76); altered consciousness; a low Barthel index score; chronic respiratory failure (OR, 3.85; 95% CI, 1.61-9.19); hematologic malignancy (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.26-5.35); conditions requiring oxygenation (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.37-2.10) or high-flow nasal cannula therapy (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.01-7.62); or the administration of vasopressors (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.39-3.63) or antibiotics (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14-1.74) were associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

This study identified the factors affecting in-hospital mortality among patients with miliary TB. The findings of this study will aid clinicians in identifying patients who may benefit from aggressive therapeutic interventions.