Severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia: clinical characteristics and risk factors

BACKGROUND Psittacosis ranges from a mild illness to fulminant severe pneumonia with multi-organ failure. It's crucial to understand the clinical characteristics and identify risk factors for a better outcome. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis designed to identify risk factors for severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia (C. psittaci pneumonia) by comparing the clinical characteristics of patients with severe and less severe forms of the disease. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, computed tomography (CT) imaging, and outcome data were collected. RESULTS We enrolled 27 patients with C. psittaci pneumonia, with a median age of 63 (range, 47-82) years, and 23 of whom (85.2%) had a history of avian exposure. Dyspnea was seen in 15 patients with severe C. psittaci pneumonia (100%), and four in 12 non-severe patients (33.3%) (P