PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J Gea
AU  - R Rodriguez-Roisin
AU  - A Torres
AU  - J Roca
AU  - A Agusti-Vidal
TI  - Lung function changes following Legionnaires' disease
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.93.01020109
DP  - 1988 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 109--114
VI  - 1
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/1/2/109.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/1/2/109.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1988 Feb 01; 1
AB  - Eleven out of thirteen patients hospitalized because of severe pneumonia caused by Legionella Pneumophila were evaluated over a period of 53 months. During the acute phase, all but one patient manifested severe hypoxaemia, needing either supplementary oxygen or, in the case of three, mechanical ventilation and one died. Following recovery, two patients complained of mild shortness of breath alone. However, most of the individuals showed subclinical mild to moderate ventilatory and/or gas exchange abnormalities a few months after discharge (less than 6 months). Despite the fact that some of these functional findings in part persisted at long-term (6-33 months), a significant overall improvement in lung function was noticed. The main pulmonary functional sequelae following Legionnaires' Disease might include a restrictive ventilatory defect, a low transfer factor and hypoxaemia.