title: Fatal sepsis in an AIDS patient during therapy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
abstract: The case of a patient with a newly diagnosed HIV infection and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is presented. Despite treatment with high-dose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and prednisone with initial improvement, the patient acutely deteriorated with severe acidosis and died on the 4th day of hospitalization. Cryptococcus neoformans grew the next day in broncheoalveolar lavage (BAL) and blood culture. As simultaneous presence of more than one opportunistic infection can occur in these patients, systematic workup for other common opportunistic infections must be performed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. reinjan.piso@dim.usz.ch
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Piso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oehler
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Täuber
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D011241:Prednisone