Superinfection: another look.
Superinfection in the compromised host often poses a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for the physician who is concerned that a perplexing array of microorganisms might be involved. We believe that the differential diagnosis list can often be narrowed considerably by separating superinfection in the compromised host into five convenient categories: (1) infections due to the underlying disease itself; (2) infections due to the underlying disease plus therapy for that disease; (3) infections due solely to medicaments, operations, or procedures; (4) infections increased in severity but probably not in incidence; and (5) societally related infections. Use of this or a similar categorization should result in a more rational approach to differential diagnosis, should encourage a more focused diagnostic work-up, whould reduce the necessity for invasive procedures, should provide the microbiology laboratory information about specific organisms that should be sought sedulously, and should permit the selection of a more rational antimicrobial regimen prior to the availability of definitive microbiologic information.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007119:Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy / Q000150:complications; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000209:etiology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000150:complications; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000209:etiology