trimethoprim--sulfamethoxazole-drug-combination and Dyspnea

Pneumocystis is typically described in the immunodepressed. We report a case of pneumocystis occurring in a patient without known depression of the immune system. The patient, aged 50, was hospitalised for a diffused infiltration pneumonia which developed sub-acutely, and presented with increasing dyspnoea of effort, thoracic pain and a disturbances of general health. The initial assessment did not reveal any risk factors for HIV infection nor any past history of note. The diagnosis of pneumocystis was confirmed by the presence of Pneumocystis carinii in the bronchoalveolar lavage from two samples. There was a favourable outcome following the prescription of Cotrimoxazole for three months and steroid therapy. HIV serology was negative and the sub-population of lymphocytes was normal. A search for neoplasia or systematic disease remained negative.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Anti-Infective Agents; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Chest Pain; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumocystis; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Treatment Outcome; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

The clinical features of three patients with a life-threatening reaction to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) are presented along with seven other cases from the literature. All patients developed sudden fever and hypotension immediately after the administration of TMP-SMZ; usually this reaction occurred within approximately 2 weeks of completion of a previous course of the drug. All but one patient had a rash. Most patients were hypoxemic and developed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. All patients responded rapidly to supportive care, while bacterial cultures remained negative. The presence, absence, or character of previous adverse reactions to TMP-SMZ did not predict subsequent severe reactions. Although its mechanism remains unclear, this reaction has features of both IgE-mediated anaphylaxis and cytokine (tumor necrosis factor)-mediated effects. We advise extreme caution, with close observation, when this drug is first readministered to patients who have experienced any TMP-SMZ-associated toxicity within the previous 6-8 weeks.

Topics: Adult; Diarrhea; Dyspnea; Fever; HIV Infections; Humans; Hypotension; Hypoxia; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Urinary Tract Infections

Expectoration of bronchial casts (plastic bronchitis) is an uncommon but ancient problem. Herein we describe a 40-year-old man, with no prior lung disease, who had dyspnea, cough, and expectoration of long branching bronchial casts. No specific cause was delineated, although special stains for eosinophilic granule major basic protein demonstrated occasional foci of eosinophils and small amounts of extracellular major basic protein in the bronchial casts. Various diseases, such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis, have been associated with the formation of bronchial casts and should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Although most previously reported cases have been associated with some type of pulmonary disease, our patient had no evidence of an underlying pulmonary disorder.

Topics: Acetylcysteine; Adult; Blood Proteins; Bronchitis; Cough; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Eosinophil Granule Proteins; Eosinophils; Humans; Male; Mucus; Prednisone; Ribonucleases; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

The effects of broad-spectrum antibiotic and placebo therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in exacerbation were compared in a randomized, double-blinded, crossover trial. Exacerbations were defined in terms of increased dyspnea, sputum production, and sputum purulence. Exacerbations were followed at 3-day intervals by home visits, and those that resolved in 21 days were designated treatment successes. Treatment failures included exacerbations in which symptoms did not resolve but no intervention was necessary, and those in which the patient's condition deteriorated so that intervention was necessary. Over 3.5 years in 173 patients, 362 exacerbations were treated, 180 with placebo and 182 with antibiotic. The success rate with placebo was 55% and with antibiotic 68%. The rate of failure with deterioration was 19% with placebo and 10% with antibiotic. There was a significant benefit associated with antibiotic. Peak flow recovered more rapidly with antibiotic treatment than with placebo. Side effects were uncommon and did not differ between antibiotic and placebo.

Topics: Aged; Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Double-Blind Method; Doxycycline; Drug Combinations; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Male; Middle Aged; Random Allocation; Respiratory Sounds; Sputum; Sulfamethoxazole; Trimethoprim; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Forty patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and their first episodes of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were assigned at random to receive either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or pentamidine isethionate. The two groups did not differ significantly in the severity of pulmonary or systemic processes at enrollment. Five patients treated initially with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and one patient treated initially with pentamidine died during the 21-day treatment period (p = 0.09, Fisher's exact test). No significant differences were seen between groups in rates of improvement, pulmonary function tests, or 67Ga uptake by the lungs in the survivors at completion of therapy. Adverse reactions necessitated changing from the initial drug in 10 patients in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group and 11 in the pentamidine group. Minor reactions occurred in all patients. In patients with AIDS, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine do not have statistically significant differences in efficacy or frequency of adverse reactions.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; Amidines; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Combinations; Dyspnea; Humans; Pentamidine; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Prospective Studies; Random Allocation; Respiratory Function Tests; Sulfamethoxazole; Trimethoprim; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

To investigate the clinical features, early diagnosis, and treatment methods of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) after renal transplantation (RT).. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 80 patients with confirmed PJP who underwent RT between 2018 and 2021 in our hospital.. In the present study, the incidence of PJP was 6.2% (80/1300). A 50% of cases (40 out of 80 patients) had developed a PJP infection during the first 6 months after RT and 81.3% (65 out of 80 patients) within 12 months. The median onset time of PJP was 6.5 months after RT. The most common symptom was fever (73.8%), followed by progressive dyspnea (51.3%) and dry cough (31.3%). In the initial phase of PJP, the most frequent CT finding was the presence of diffuse ground-grass shadows. In all, 27.5%, 37.5%, and 35% patients were diagnosed by induced sputum metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), peripheral blood mNGS, and characteristic clinical diagnostic features, respectively. The median 1,3-β-D-glucan level was 500 pg/mL, while the median C-reactive protein level was 63.4 mg/L. In most patients (83.8%), the procalcitonin levels were negative. The mean serum creatinine level was 171.9 ± 87.4 μmol/L. Of the 80 patients, 37 (46.2%) had coexisting cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. All patients were treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and third generation cephalosporin to prevent bacterial infection. The methylprednisolone dose (40-120 mg/d) varied according to illness.. PJP usually occurs within 1 year after RT, typically within 6 months. Fever, dry cough, and progressive dyspnea are the most common clinical symptoms. PJP should be highly suspected if the patient has clinical symptoms and diffuse, patchy, ground-glass opacities on CT in both lungs after RT within 1 year. Peripheral blood or induced sputum mNGS is helpful for early diagnosis of PJP. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is still the first choice for the treatment of PJP. Combined use of caspofungin can reduce the dose and adverse reactions of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in theory.

Topics: Cough; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Dyspnea; Humans; Kidney Transplantation; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Retrospective Studies; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

We reported a Chinese boy with X-linked hyper IgM (XHIGM) syndrome, manifesting as recurrent and severe pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii. His parents were healthy and unrelated. In August 2018, the 5-month-old boy manifested as cough and dyspnea, and then in July 2019, he was admitted because of the same symptoms. Immunological results of the two admissions both showed low IgG, low IgA, normal IgM and high levels of 1,3-β-D-glucan (BDG). Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), great reading counts of P. jirovecii were identified from the deep sputum in both admissions. Caspofungin combined with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were used to anti-infection, and he recovered quickly. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for this family because of immune suppression, the disease-causing gene (exon 10-22 of CD40L) deletion for XHIGM syndrome was identified. NGS is beneficial for etiology diagnosis. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia as an opportunistic infection could be recurrent in patients with XHIGM syndrome.

Topics: Caspofungin; Cough; Dyspnea; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Hyper-IgM Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Type 1; Infant; Male; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Treatment Outcome; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; HIV Infections; Humans; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Nocardia, a branching, filamentous bacteria, is widely distributed in the environment and can cause human infection in immune-compromised hosts. Inhalation of Nocardia leads to pulmonary disease. Microbiology laboratory processed the clinical samples from patients with respiratory infections. Smears were prepared from the samples and were stained and cultured. Five cases were positive for Nocardia. They were treated with the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination. The disease was cured in three patients, and two died due to other comorbid conditions leading to complications. Nocardiosis is encountered in parts of the world even where it is not endemic due to increased world travel. So physicians and laboratory staff should be aware of this and try to diagnose it. Early detection can lead to the prompt initiation of treatment and reduced mortality in these patients. Patients with disseminated or severe nocardiosis should be treated with combination therapy with two or more active agents.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Amikacin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cough; Diabetes Mellitus; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Imipenem; Immunocompromised Host; India; Male; Meropenem; Middle Aged; Nocardia Infections; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Thienamycins; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Topics: Aged; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Anti-Infective Agents; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Female; Fever; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Lung; Oxygen; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Radiography; Sweating; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Topics: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Chemoprevention; Community-Acquired Infections; Cough; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; HIV Infections; Humans; Lymphatic Diseases; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Medication Adherence; Pancytopenia; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Radiography; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cough; Dyspnea; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; Humans; Male; Microscopy; Mycology; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Prednisone; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Weight Loss

The authors present a case of a 28-year-old woman on trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for 9 months, who presented to the emergency department with weakness, shortness of breath, and cyanosis. The patient's clinical course is outlined. A discussion of the potential etiologies, as well as the clinical management, is provided.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Female; Humans; Methemoglobinemia; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Topics: Agammaglobulinemia; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspnea; Emergency Service, Hospital; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunoglobulin M; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Infant; Male; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Pulmonary Eosinophilia; Risk Assessment; Syndrome; Treatment Outcome; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Waiting Lists

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who have not been treated with fludarabin are rare, although clinically relevant CD4 T-cell depletion can occur in longstanding CLL without prior treatment with purine analogues. A 52 year old woman is reported who was on long term treatment with chlorambucil and taking a short course of prednisone for familial CLL before she developed progressive dyspnoea, and P carinii pneumonia was diagnosed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Despite treatment with high dose co-trimoxazole the patient died.

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Chlorambucil; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Middle Aged; Opportunistic Infections; Pedigree; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Prednisone; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

PRESENTING FEATURES: A 53-year-old man who had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presented to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with a 3-month history of increasing dysphagia, cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and an episode of syncope. His past medical history was notable for oral and presumptive esophageal candidiasis that was treated with fluconazole 6 months prior to presentation. Three months prior to presentation, he discontinued his medications, and his symptoms of dysphagia recurred. During that time he developed intermittent fevers and chills, progressively worsening dyspnea on exertion, and a cough productive of white sputum. He also reported a 40-lb weight loss over the past 3 months. On the day prior to presentation, he had chest pain and shortness of breath followed by weakness, dizziness, and a brief syncopal episode. He denied orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, lower extremity edema, jaundice, hemoptysis, hematemesis, melena, hematochezia, or diarrhea. There was no history of alcohol use, and he stopped smoking tobacco approximately 1 month previously. He smoked cocaine but denied injection drug use. The patient had never been on antiretroviral therapy and had never had his CD4 count or viral load measured. On physical examination, the patient was a thin, cachectic man who appeared older than his stated age. His vital signs were notable for blood pressure of 102/69 mm Hg, resting tachycardia of 102 beats per minute, resting oxygen saturation of 92% on room air, normal resting respiratory rate, and a temperature of 38.1 degrees C. His oropharynx was clear, with no signs of thrush or mucosal ulcers. His pulmonary examination was notable for diminished breath sounds in the lower lung fields bilaterally. Cardiac, abdominal, and neurologic examinations were normal. His skin was intact, with no visible petechiae, rashes, nodules, or ulcers. Laboratory studies showed a total white blood cell count of 3.2 x 10(3)/microL, with a total lymphocyte count of 330/microL, hematocrit of 30.2%, a serum sodium level of 129 mEq/L, and a serum lactate dehydrogenase level of 219 IU/L. The patient had an absolute CD4 count of 8 cells/mm3 and a HIV viral load of 86,457 copies/mL. His arterial blood gas on room air had a pH of 7.51, a PCO2 of 33 mm Hg, and a PO2 of 55 mm Hg. Electrocardiogram and serial serum cardiac enzymes were normal. A chest radiograph showed bilateral upper lobe patchy infiltrates with left upper lobe consolidation. Computed tomographic (CT) scan o

Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Chest Pain; Cough; Deglutition Disorders; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspnea; Humans; Lung Diseases, Fungal; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Prednisone; Sporotrichosis; Syncope; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Rhinoscleroma is a very rare cause of upper airway obstruction with only isolated reports in the literature of rhinoscleroma with isolated tracheal obstruction. The course is usually chronic with the presentation most often being non-specific. We report a 54-year-old woman with progressive shortness of breath and wheezing over 7 years' duration. She was diagnosed and treated as bronchial asthma without improvement in her symptoms. At the time of referral to our institution, her flow-volume loop revealed fixed upper airway obstruction. Her chest radiography and other laboratory tests were normal. Bronchoscopy revealed a 70-80% irregular concentric stenosis of the trachea beginning immediately below the vocal cords and extending 4 cm distally. Biopsy showed characteristic Mikulicz histiocytes containing numerous gram-negative intracellular coccobacilli consistent with a diagnosis of rhinoscleroma. The patient was treated with laser resection of the stenosis followed by a course of ciprofloxcin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. She has remained asymptomatic over a year follow-up period and repeated biopsies have shown no evidence of recurrence.

Topics: Airway Obstruction; Anti-Infective Agents; Bronchoscopy; Ciprofloxacin; Dyspnea; Female; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Laser Therapy; Middle Aged; Radiography, Thoracic; Respiratory Sounds; Rhinoscleroma; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Topics: Adult; Agranulocytosis; Decision Making; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Edema; Female; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Leukopenia; Lung Diseases; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Puerperal Disorders; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination