OVERWHELMING RESPIRATORY-FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH LEGIONELLA-PNEUMOPHILA

Four patients were admitted to the medical intensive care unit at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) with overwhelming respiratory failu re. Extensive investigations revealed serological evidence of Legionel la infection. Three patients required intubation and mechanical ventil ation. All patients received erythromycin; rifampin was added to two p atients. Two patients survived and two patients died. We report, for t he first time in Saudi Arabia, four cases of Legionella pneumophila wi th severe respiratory failure.