Community-acquired pneumonia in patients with HIV.
Patients with HIV frequently present at some time in their illness with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Early in the prognosis of HIV when CD4 counts are somewhat decreased, HIV patients with CAP are infected with the same pulmonary pathogen as normal hosts plus Legionella, Salmonella or Chlamydia pneumoniae. Later in HIV, when the CD4 counts are markedly reduced, Pneumocystis carinii (PCP), CMV and acid-fast organisms (TB or MAI) are important pulmonary pathogens. This article presents a clinical approach to empiric antibiotics based on chest x-ray appearance and CD4 count. This permits a rational therapeutic approach to avoid excessive coverage commonly employed by clinicians because of the multiplicity of potential pulmonary pathogens in HIV patients with CAP.
Cunha
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BA
Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, New York 11501, USA.