Fatal sepsis after intravesical instillation of BCG: case report.

Intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the treatment of choice for carcinoma in situ and non-invasive high-grade superficial tumors of the urinary bladder. This treatment is well tolerated overall, but serious complications can occur. An elderly man with coronary disease and recurrent high-grade superficial carcinoma of the bladder underwent intravesical instillation of BCG and developed septic shock. He received wide range antibiotics, tuberculostatic and vasoactive drugs, corticosteroids, mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy without improvement. He died nine days after the intravesical instillation of BCG because of multiple organ failure.