Acute Q-fever and history taking--a lesson learned.

A 50-year-old patient underwent a routine primary total hip replacement. Soon after surgery, he developed acute respiratory failure from post-operative sepsis. His condition deteriorated rapidly despite supportive management and he required admission into intensive care unit for assisted ventilation. It took almost one week before the underlying cause of the deterioration was determined to be unrelated to complications of surgery. A diagnosis of Q-fever was made following detailed attention to the clinical history. Appropriate treatment was started and the patient made a full recovery. The diagnosis was confirmed later following discharge from hospital.