Pneumonia in an Immunocompromised Patient

Excerpt

Immunocompromised patients have an impaired immune system leading to decreased resistance to infections. The immunocompromised state can be innate; however, acquired immunodeficiency is far more common due to the recent advances in cancer chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation, use of immunomodulatory drugs, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). These recent developments have led to an increase in the number of immunocompromised patients. Pulmonary infections are quite common in immunocompromised patients owing to the respiratory tract’s constant environmental exposure. Besides the common pathogens capable of infecting an immunocompetent individual, immunocompromised patients are also at risk of infection from opportunistic pathogens. The type of pathogen involved and the severity of infection depend on the type, duration, and degree of immunodeficiency. Types of common immunodeficiencies are:

1. Humoral

2. T-cell

3. Neutropenic

It is important to remember that various infections can be present simultaneously in an immunocompromised patient.