We report a 47-year-old male patient with fulminant ornithosis who develope
d severe respiratory failure leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS) complicated by gastrointestinal, neurological and renal symptoms. A
RDS was successfully treated by extracorporeal lung assist. As leukocytosis
is typically absent in ornithosis, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and p
rocalcitonin were used as infection parameters in order to monitor clinical
development. The English-language literature on severe cases of ornithosis
requiring respiratory support over the past 30 years is reviewed.