Acute myeloid leukemia and acute respiratory failure: Early diagnosis and a practical approach

Abstract

Acute leukemia is a group of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of immature lymphoid and myeloid cell lineages in the bone marrow as a result of neoplastic transformation. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most commonly seen acute leukemia in adulthood (85%) with increasing incidence (3-5: 100,000) with advancing age [1]. The mean age at diagnosis is 60 years in AML and 5-year survival varies from 15 to 30%, with incidence of 8.5: 100,000 in all age groups. In the last few decades, the prognosis has been relatively improved due to advances in supportive care [2].