Tuberculosis (TB) is a major unrecognized cause of deadly sepsis among people with HIV in Africa, a sweeping new study reveals. Beginning treatment for TB immediately – even before sepsis patients are diagnosed with TB – could save countless lives, the researchers say.
The ATLAS study, conducted over five years at hospitals in Tanzania and Uganda, has found that more than half of the hundreds of patients enrolled in the study had TB and that immediate treatment increased their chances of survival significantly.
The first-of-its kind study was conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Tulane School of Medicine, University of Minnesota and their collaborators in Africa, including leading HIV and tuberculosis physician-scientists Stellah Mpagama from Tanzania’s…