RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Bacterial pneumonia in HIV-infected patients: a prospective study of 68 episodes
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 235
OP 239
DO 10.1183/09031936.94.07020235
VO 7
IS 2
A1 V Falco
A1 T Fernandez de Sevilla
A1 J Alegre
A1 J Barbe
A1 A Ferrer
A1 I Ocana
A1 E Ribera
A1 JM Martinez-Vazquez
YR 1994
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/7/2/235.abstract
AB We collected clinical and microbiological observations, as well as follow-up on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with bacterial pneumonia, and compared pneumococcal pneumonia in patients with and without HIV infection. Fifty five HIV-infected patients, who had had 68 episodes of bacterial pneumonia, were studied prospectively. Twenty one HIV-infected patients with pneumococcal pneumonia were compared to 69 non-HIV-infected patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Aetiological diagnosis was established in 48 cases (71%). The most common causative agents were S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. Sixty percent of episodes took place in asymptomatic carriers of HIV infection and 37% in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Overall mortality was 10%. Fifty five percent of patients with follow-up had recurrent episodes. Bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia was more frequent in HIV- than in non-HIV-infected patients, and the mortality of pneumococcal pneumonia was also higher in HIV- (19%) than in non-HIV-infected (4.3%) patients. We conclude that bacterial pneumonia is a frequent problem in HIV-infected patients and that recurrent episodes are common. The clinical presentation of pneumococcal pneumonia is generally indistinguishable from that occurring in normal hosts, but bacteraemia is more common and the mortality is higher in HIV-infected patients.