| Abstract: |
Pneumonias in the immunocompromised host can be caused by virulent organisms, which also infect normal patients, or atypical organisms not ordinarily seen in the healthy population. The type of pneumonia that develops in the immunocompromised host is determined by whether the immune defect is secondary to abnormalities in neutrophils, T lymphocytes, or B lymphocytes. Although coughing, fever, and shortness of breath develop commonly, pneumonia may be clinically silent or have unusual radiographic findings. Therefore, diagnosis often requires an open mind toward unusual organisms that may exist, as well as information acquired by sputum analysis, bronchoscopy, and/or surgical lung biopsy. Immunofluorescence and other organ-specific techniques may also be helpful in some patients. Antibiotics should be guided by cultures and other microbiology data; however, when such data are not available, they must be administered empirically. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
