PMID: 16536025Mar 16, 2006Paper

Pneumocystis pneumonia in infants

Pneumologia : revista Societății Române de Pneumologie
M CraiuP Avram

Abstract

The goal of this study is to present the clinical and evolutive features of Pneumocystis infection (PCP) in infants admitted in our clinic. We summarise these aspects from 17 cases (10 male and 7 female infants), admitted between 1st January 2004 and 31st May 2005. PCP infection is rare. It represents 1,5/1000 children (17 cases of 11328 total patients) admitted in our hospital. The risk factors for PCP were age between 6 weeks and 6 months (average 3,38 months) low birth weight (average = 2428 grams), low weight for age, prolonged hospital admission (88,23% of the 17 infants were abandoned in nursery). Only one of them had HIV infection and none presented neoplastic disease. The most prominent clinical aspect was tachypnea (average 78 breath/minute, maximum 130). 16 (94,11%) had difficult breathing with chest in-drawing and flaring of ala nasi. 14 (82,35%) had generalised cyanosis. Only two (11,72%) infants had fever. Radiologic aspects were evocative, with diffuse pulmonary involvement in almost all cases (88,23%). 6 infants (35,29%) had pneumothorax and 2 (11,76%) presented pneumomediastinum. Positive diagnosis was made by microscopic examination of secretions from endotracheal tube aspiration (Grocott methenamine silver sta...Continue Reading

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