A Fulminant Case of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Associated with Mycoplasma Pneumonia Treated with Nasal High-Flow Oxygen Therapy

INTRODUCTION: The prognosis of mycoplasma pneumonia in adults is generally favorable, but a few patients show progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We have described the management of a patient who showed progression of mycoplasma pneumonia to ARDS. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 26-year-old male patient with no significant past medical or social history presented with a 5-day history of fever. Following this, he was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and treated with tazobactam/piperacillin; however, he showed little clinical improvement with this treatment approach. We diagnosed the patient with mycoplasma pneumonia with an antigen test and treated him with azithromycin and prednisolone. Despite the appropriate antimicrobial therapy, his symptoms worsened and therefore we changed his oxygen therapy from a reservoir mask to nasal high-flow oxygen in addition to minocycline. Consequently, with this treatment, he recovered from severe mycoplasma pneumonia. DISCUSSION: In patients with severe pneumonia who experience respiratory failure, it has been reported that nasal high-flow oxygen therapy is not inferior to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation therapy regarding intubation rate. In this case, induction of nasal high-flow oxygen therapy led to avoidance of ventilator management. This is a valuable case report highlighting the optimal outcome of nasal high-flow oxygen therapy in a fulminant case of acute respiratory distress syndrome. CONCLUSION: In patients who present with severe mycoplasma pneumonia with respiratory failure, nasal high-flow oxygen therapy can help reduce the needs for ventilator management including intubation.