PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Immunosuppressive states and therapies are becoming common in clinical practice. Recent advances and trends in bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic pulmonary infections in immunosuppressed patients are described. RECENT FINDINGS: Pulmonary infections can jeopardize the prognosis of immunosuppressed patients. The number of patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria or opportunistic pathogens like rapid-growing environmental mycobacteria, Strongyloides stercoralis or Rhodococcus equi is increasing with the increased numbers of immunosuppressed patients due to HIV/AIDS and the potent immunosuppressive therapies used in solid-organ and haematopoietic transplantations, cancer and systemic illnesses. The slow development of more effective antibiotics underlines the necessity of preventive measures, development of rapid detection tests for pathogens and appropriate treatment regimens to avoid development of further resistance. SUMMARY: Adequate prophylaxis, clinical suspicion, microbiological and molecular investigations, drug susceptibility-based antibiotic treatment and new drug development are strategies required to face up to the challenge of pulmonary infections in immunodepressed patients.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Immunosuppressive states and therapies are becoming common in clinical practice. Recent advances and trends in bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic pulmonary infections in immunosuppressed patients are described. RECENT FINDINGS:Pulmonary infections can jeopardize the prognosis of immunosuppressed patients. The number of patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria or opportunistic pathogens like rapid-growing environmental mycobacteria, Strongyloides stercoralis or Rhodococcus equi is increasing with the increased numbers of immunosuppressed patients due to HIV/AIDS and the potent immunosuppressive therapies used in solid-organ and haematopoietic transplantations, cancer and systemic illnesses. The slow development of more effective antibiotics underlines the necessity of preventive measures, development of rapid detection tests for pathogens and appropriate treatment regimens to avoid development of further resistance. SUMMARY: Adequate prophylaxis, clinical suspicion, microbiological and molecular investigations, drug susceptibility-based antibiotic treatment and new drug development are strategies required to face up to the challenge of pulmonary infections in immunodepressedpatients.
Authors: Clovice Kankya; Adrian Muwonge; Susan Olet; Musso Munyeme; Demelash Biffa; John Opuda-Asibo; Eystein Skjerve; James Oloya Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2010-08-10 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Rekha R Rapaka; David M Ricks; John F Alcorn; Kong Chen; Shabaana A Khader; Mingquan Zheng; Scott Plevy; Eva Bengtén; Jay K Kolls Journal: J Exp Med Date: 2010-12-13 Impact factor: 14.307
Authors: Andrew Martin Kilale; Esther Ngadaya; Gibson Benard Kagaruki; Yakobo Leonard Lema; Julius Muhumuza; Bernard James Ngowi; Sayoki Godfrey Mfinanga; Sven Gudmund Hinderaker Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-06-24 Impact factor: 3.240