ABSTRACT
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is an opportunistic infection that affects HIV-infected and immunocompromised persons and rarely affects immunocompetent patients. However, after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, some COVID-19 patients without immunocompromise or HIV were infected with P. jirovecii. Clinical manifestations were atypical, easily misdiagnosed, and rapidly progressive, and the prognosis was poor.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Coinfection , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , COVID-19/complications , Male , Immunocompetence , Middle Aged , Immunocompromised Host , FemaleABSTRACT
Background: Compared with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients, non-HIV patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) have more rapid onset, more rapid progression, and higher mortality. Objectives: To investigate the predictive value of variables obtained upon hospital admission for in-hospital death and 90-day outcomes in non-HIV-PCP patients with respiratory failure (RF). Methods: This was a single center retrospective study in a tertiary care institution over 15 years. It included all adults inpatients (≥18 years old) with laboratory confirmed non-HIV-PCP with RF who were discharged or died from Peking University First Hospital between April 1st, 2007 and November 1st, 2022. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, imaging and outcome data were collected from patient records. Results: In this study, a total of 146 non-HIV-PCP patients with RF were included. There were 57 patients (39%) died during hospitalization, 44 patients (53%) died in Intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 137 patients completed 90 days of follow-up, of which 58 (42.3%) died. The multivariable regression analysis revealed that a CD8+ T cell count <115/µl (P=0.009), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)-neutrophil percentage ≥50% (P=0.047), the time from corticosteroids withdrawal to symptom onset ≤5 days (P=0.012), and the time from visit to initiation of sulfonamides ≥2 days (P=0.011) were independent risk factors for in-hospital death. Furthermore, a CD8+ T cell count < 115/µl (P=0.001) and the time from visit to initiation of sulfonamides therapy ≥2 days (P=0.033) was independently associated with 90-day all-cause death. Conclusions: A low CD8+ T cell count in peripheral blood, a high percentage of BALF-neutrophils, a short time from corticosteroids withdrawal to symptom onset, and a long time from visit to initiation of sulfonamides are associated with poor prognosis in non-HIV-PCP patients with RF.
Subject(s)
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Respiratory Insufficiency , Humans , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/mortality , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Male , Female , Retrospective Studies , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Aged , Adult , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/microbiology , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Intensive Care Units , Hospitalization , Tertiary Care Centers , Neutrophils , Risk Factors , Hospital Mortality , HIV Infections/complications , Pneumocystis carinii/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis pneumonia is an uncommon precipitant of acute respiratory distress syndrome and is associated with high mortality. Prone positioning ventilation has been proven to reduce mortality in patients with moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. We investigated the effect of prone positioning on oxygenation and mortality in intubated patients with pneumocystis pneumonia comorbid with moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective, observational, cohort study, eligible patients were enrolled at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021. Data on demographics, clinical features, ventilation parameters, arterial blood gas, and outcomes were collected. Patients were assigned to the prone cohort or supine cohort according to whether they received prone positioning ventilation. The main outcome was 28-day mortality. FINDINGS: A total of 79 patients were included in the study. Sixty-three patients were enrolled in the prone cohort, and 16 patients were enrolled in the supine cohort. The 28-day mortality was 61.9% in the prone cohort and 68.8% in the supine cohort (P = 0.26), and 90-day mortality was 66.7% in the prone cohort and 68.8% in the supine cohort (P = 0.55). Patients in the supine cohort had fewer invasive mechanical ventilation days and more ventilator-free days. The incidence of complications was higher in the prone cohort than in the supine cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with pneumocystis pneumonia and moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, prone positioning did not decrease 28-day or 90-day mortality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number, ChiCTR2200063889. Registered on 20 September 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=174886 .
Subject(s)
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , Humans , Male , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/mortality , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/therapy , Female , Retrospective Studies , Prone Position , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/mortality , Middle Aged , Aged , Respiration, Artificial/methods , Treatment Outcome , Adult , Patient Positioning/methods , China/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence, risk factors, and associated complications of pneumothorax that are present in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at our institution and to provide an updated local study addressing the association between pneumothorax and HIV. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined 161 patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of HIV from June 2017 to May 2022. They were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence of pneumothorax during their stay. Multiple variables were studied, including age, gender, tuberculosis infection, pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP)infection, bacterial pneumonia, and pneumothorax type and treatment course. RESULTS: There were 11 patients diagnosed with pneumothorax (prevalence rate: 6.8%). Bacterial lung infection was found in 9 (81.8%) of these patients, while fungal infection was found in 6 (54.5%) (p<0.001, 0.010). The MTB was found in 3 (27.3%) patients (p=0.728), while none were infected with PJP. Intercostal tube insertion was attempted in 9 (81.8%) patients, the mean duration of tube stay was 39.3±30.7 days, and the mortality rate was 72.7% (p=0.007). CONCLUSION: Pneumothorax in patients with HIV is a manifestation of the progression of the disease and its poor outcome. It has a complicated treatment course and a high mortality rate.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Pneumothorax , Humans , Pneumothorax/epidemiology , Pneumothorax/etiology , Male , Female , Retrospective Studies , Adult , Prevalence , HIV Infections/complications , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Chest Tubes , Cohort Studies , Pneumonia, Bacterial/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Bacterial/complicationsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of non-HIV related Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is increasing with use of immunosuppressive therapies. There are case reports of solid organ transplant recipients on immunosuppressive therapy presenting with mild hypercalcemia, leading to a diagnosis of PJP. Recent studies have shown efficacy of PJP prophylaxis for patients treated with rituximab with a favourable adverse effect profile. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old male with a history of PR3-ANCA vasculitis, chronic kidney disease and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction presented to our tertiary care hospital with a two-week history of confusion and non-productive cough. Background immunosuppression with rituximab was completed every six months. The patient was found to have hypercalcemia and new infiltrates and ground glass opacities on cross-sectional imaging. Bronchoscopy was performed that was positive for Pneumocystis jirovecii. He was treated with 21 days of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and prednisone with resolution of symptoms and hypercalcemia. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we present a novel case of PJP in a non-transplant recipient preceded by hypercalcemia. Our case demonstrates the importance for a high suspicion for PJP in chronically immunosuppressed patients on rituximab presenting with PTH-independent hypercalcemia.
Subject(s)
Hypercalcemia , Immunocompromised Host , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Rituximab , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination , Humans , Male , Aged , Pneumocystis carinii/isolation & purification , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/drug therapy , Rituximab/therapeutic use , Rituximab/adverse effects , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination/therapeutic use , Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects , Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use , Prednisone/therapeutic use , BronchoscopyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To investigate the outcomes of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with and without biologics before PCP onset. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively included rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with PCP treated with and without biologics before PCP onset. The primary endpoints were 30-day and 180-day survival rates, and the secondary endpoint was severe PCP, including in-hospital death, intensive care unit admission, and requirement of respiratory support during hospitalization. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were enrolled in this study, including the Biologics group (n = 39) and Non-Biologics group (n = 43). There were no significantly differences in the 30-day and 180-day survival rates and severe PCP rate in the Biologics group and the Non-Biologics group before and after adjusting the patient characteristics. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for death showed no significantly differences between the Biologics and Non-Biologics groups. Cox regression hazard analysis revealed that the average daily prednisolone dose within 90 days before PCP onset was weakly associated with mortality after PCP. CONCLUSIONS: Biologic use before PCP onset did not increase the severity and mortality of PCP compared to non-biologics use in patients with RA.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Biological Products , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Retrospective Studies , Hospital Mortality , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Biological Factors/therapeutic use , Biological Products/adverse effectsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) pose substantial physical and psychological burdens for a growing number of women. Given the ubiquity of these conditions and known patient reluctance to seek care, primary care providers (PCPs) have a unique opportunity to increase treatment and provide appropriate referrals for these patients. METHODS: An online survey was administered to PCPs to assess provider practices, knowledge, comfort managing and ease of referral for PFDs. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between demographic/practice characteristics of PCPs and two primary outcomes of interest: discomfort with management and difficulty with referral of PFDs. RESULTS: Of the 153 respondents to the survey, more felt comfortable managing stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB), compared with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and faecal incontinence (FI) and were less likely to refer patients with urinary symptoms. Few providers elicited symptoms for POP and FI as compared with SUI and OAB. Provider variables that were significantly associated with discomfort with management varied by PFD, but tended to correlate with less exposure to PFDs (eg, those with fewer years of practice, and internal medicine and family physicians as compared with geriatricians); whereas the factors that were significantly associated with difficulty in referral, again varied by PFD, but were related to practice characteristics (eg, specialist network, type of practice, practice setting and quantity of patients). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the need to increase PCPs awareness of PFDs and develop effective standardised screening protocols, as well as collaboration with pelvic floor specialists to improve screening, treatment and referral for patients with PFDs.
Subject(s)
Fecal Incontinence , Pelvic Floor Disorders , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Urinary Bladder, Overactive , Urinary Incontinence, Stress , Humans , Female , Pelvic Floor Disorders/diagnosis , Pelvic Floor Disorders/therapy , Pelvic Floor Disorders/complications , Cross-Sectional Studies , Urinary Bladder, Overactive/diagnosis , Urinary Bladder, Overactive/therapy , Urinary Bladder, Overactive/complications , Urinary Incontinence, Stress/diagnosis , Urinary Incontinence, Stress/therapy , Urinary Incontinence, Stress/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Fecal Incontinence/diagnosis , Fecal Incontinence/therapy , Fecal Incontinence/complications , Primary Health CareABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence revealed that lung microbiota dysbiosis was associated with pulmonary infection in lung transplant recipients (LTRs). Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that frequently causes lethal pneumonia in LTRs. However, the lung microbiota in LTRs with P. jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) remains unknow. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we performed metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) on 72 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from 61 LTRs (20 with PJP, 22 with PJC, 19 time-matched stable LTRs, and 11 from LTRs after PJP recovery). We compared the lung microbiota composition of LTRs with and without P. jirovecii, and analyzed the related clinical variables. RESULTS: BALFs collected at the episode of PJP showed a more discrete distribution with a lower species diversity, and microbiota composition differed significantly compared to P. jirovecii colonization (PJC) and control group. Human gammaherpesvirus 4, Phreatobacter oligotrophus, and Pseudomonas balearica were the differential microbiota species between the PJP and the other two groups. The network analysis revealed that most species had a positive correlation, while P. jirovecii was correlated negatively with 10 species including Acinetobacter venetianus, Pseudomonas guariconensis, Paracandidimonas soli, Acinetobacter colistiniresistens, and Castellaniella defragrans, which were enriched in the control group. The microbiota composition and diversity of BALF after PJP recovery were also different from the PJP and control groups, while the main components of the PJP recovery similar to control group. Clinical variables including age, creatinine, total protein, albumin, IgG, neutrophil, lymphocyte, CD3+CD45+, CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T cells were deeply implicated in the alterations of lung microbiota in LTRs. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that LTRs with PJP had altered lung microbiota compared to PJC, control, and after recovery groups. Furthermore, lung microbiota is related to age, renal function, nutritional and immune status in LTRs.
Subject(s)
Microbiota , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Transplant Recipients , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Pneumocystis carinii/genetics , LungABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP) pneumonia is a serious life-threatening condition in immunocompromised individuals and is often associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) + patients. We describe a case of PJP pneumonia which provided a diagnostic challenge in a patient who presented with no known risk factors leading to a delay in initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old previously healthy white/Caucasian male presented with subacute hypoxic respiratory failure due to multifocal pneumonia with diffuse bilateral ground glass opacities with consolidations despite prior treatment with antibiotics and steroids. He was admitted and started on intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics but continued to deteriorate, eventually requiring intubation and transfer to the ICU. Bronchoscopy revealed PJP and treatment was initiated, but the patient developed refractory shock and multiorgan failure, and ultimately died. It was later discovered that he was HIV-1 positive. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: PJP, as a potential cause of his presentation, was not considered given that our patient lacked any overt risk factors for PJP pneumonia. He continued to worsen despite broad spectrum antibiotic therapy and hence bronchoscopy was pursued. His clinical profile, in hindsight, was suspicious for PJP pneumonia and early PJP-directed antibiotic therapy may have prevented a fatal outcome, as in this case. There was an element of cognitive bias across multiple providers which may have contributed to the delay in treatment despite his rapid clinical decline while on conventional pneumonia treatment protocol. His diagnosis was later evident when his BAL-DFA grew PJP in addition to his low levels of CD4 and CD8 cells. He was found to be HIV-1 positive five days after his death; there was a delay in this diagnosis since all positive HIV tests from the hospital are reported as 'pending' until the presumptive positive sample goes to the Connecticut Department of Public Health State laboratory for the confirmatory test. PJP-targeted therapies were initiated later in our patient's hospital course when the infection had progressed to refractory septic shock with multiorgan failure and eventual death. CONCLUSION: PJP pneumonia is a fatal disease if not recognized early in the course of illness, and the patient usually undergoes multiple antibiotic regimens before they are diagnosed and receive appropriate clinical care. The gold standard of diagnostic testing for PJP is by obtaining bronchial washings through a flexible bronchoscopy and the turnaround time for such results may take a few days to result. A significant proportion of patients may not have any overt risk factors of immunosuppression and early empiric treatment for PJP may be clinically appropriate as the delay in diagnosis may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality risk.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Male , Aged , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/drug therapy , Risk Factors , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , HIV Infections/complicationsABSTRACT
We describe the case of a 51-year-old Caucasian man with a background of a cardiac and renal transplant who developed Enterocytozoon bieneusi colitis and pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP) pneumonia following treatment for suspected rejection. The patient developed methemoglobinemia which was attributed to primaquine. He was treated with intravenous methylene blue leading to clinical and biochemical resolution. We describe in detail the pathophysiological mechanism for methemoglobinemia and its treatment, in particular with methylene blue.
Subject(s)
Kidney Transplantation , Methemoglobinemia , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Methemoglobinemia/chemically induced , Methemoglobinemia/diagnosis , Methemoglobinemia/complications , Methylene Blue , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/drug therapy , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Primaquine/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) remains life-threatening in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Our study investigated risk factors one-year before PcP. We conducted a monocentric, case-control study including all KTR at the Dijon University Hospital (France) with a diagnosis of PcP between 2005 and 2022 (cases), and matched control KTR with no history of PcP (3 controls/case). Among all 1,135 KTR, 57 cases (5%) and 169 matched-controls were included. PcP was associated with 18% mortality. Compared to controls, cases were older, with a higher immunological risk, and CMV infection was more frequent in the year preceding the occurrence of PcP (23% vs. 4%; p < 0.001). As early as 1 year before PcP, lymphocyte counts were lower and serum creatinine levels were higher in cases, but immunosuppressive regimens were not significantly different. Multivariable analysis identified lymphocyte count, serum creatinine level, being treated by immunosuppressive therapy other than anti-rejection drugs, and CMV infection in the year preceding the time PcP as independently associated with the occurrence of PcP. PcP was associated with an increased risk of subsequent chronic rejection (27% vs. 3%; p = 0.001) and return to dialysis (20% vs. 3%; p = 0.002). The occurrence of CMV infection and a low lymphocyte count could redefine the indications for continuation or reinitiation of anti-Pneumocystis prophylaxis.
Subject(s)
Cytomegalovirus Infections , Kidney Transplantation , Lymphopenia , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Thrombocytopenia , Humans , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/drug therapy , Case-Control Studies , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Creatinine , Cytomegalovirus Infections/complications , Cytomegalovirus Infections/diagnosis , Cytomegalovirus Infections/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Lymphopenia/complications , Thrombocytopenia/complications , Transplant Recipients , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is an effective treatment for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised patients with and without HIV infection; however, a high incidence of adverse events has been observed. Low-dose TMP-SMX is a potentially effective treatment with fewer adverse events; however, evidence is limited. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the efficacy and safety of low-dose TMP-SMX for non-HIV PCP compared with conventional-dose TMP-SMX after adjusting for patient background characteristics? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, we included patients diagnosed with non-HIV PCP and treated with TMP-SMX between June 2006 and March 2021 at three institutions. The patients were classified into low-dose (TMP < 12.5 mg/kg/d) and conventional-dose (TMP 12.5-20 mg/kg/d) groups. The primary end point was 30-day mortality, and the secondary end points were 180-day mortality, adverse events grade 3 or higher per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0, and initial treatment completion rates. Background characteristics were adjusted using the overlap weighting method with propensity scores. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients in the low-dose group and 81 in the conventional-dose group were evaluated. In the overall cohort, the average age was 70.7 years, and the proportion of women was 55.1%. The average dose of TMP-SMX was 8.71 mg/kg/d in the low-dose group and 17.78 mg/kg/d in the conventional-dose group. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (6.7% vs 18.4%, respectively; P = .080) or 180-day mortality (14.6% vs 26.1%, respectively; P = .141) after adjusting for patient background characteristics. The incidence of adverse events, especially nausea and hyponatremia, was significantly lower in the low-dose group (29.8% vs 59.0%, respectively; P = .005). The initial treatment completion rates were 43.3% and 29.6% in the low-dose and conventional-dose groups (P = .158), respectively. INTERPRETATION: Survival was similar between the low-dose and conventional-dose TMP-SMX groups, and low-dose TMP-SMX was associated with reduced adverse events in patients with non-HIV PCP.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Female , Aged , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination/adverse effects , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/drug therapy , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Retrospective Studies , HIV Infections/complications , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is an opportunistic infection caused by Pneumocystis carinii and is the most common fungal infection in HIV/AIDS patients. With the routine use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the incidence of PCP infection in HIV/AIDS patients has decreased and the prognosis has improved significantly. On the other hand, the use of chemoradiotherapy and immunotherapy in patients with cancer, post-transplantation and autoimmune diseases are increasing dramatically, which has led to a similar increase in the incidence of PCP in these non-HIV/AIDS patients. There is a global shift in research on PCP from HIV-infected co-infected PCP (HIV-PCP) to non-HIV-infected co-infected PCP. The clinical course of non-HIV-PCP is rapid and severe, and the morbidity and mortality rates are higher than those of HIV-PCP. Studies have shown that 90% of non-HIV-PCP patients have a history of glucocorticoid use prior to infection, such as in patients with hematologic malignancies, solid organ transplants, and rheumatic diseases, and that long-term high-dose glucocorticoid use is an important risk for PCP susceptibility. Clinical practice has shown that PCP often occurs during the tapering of glucocorticoids, and a higher proportion of patients develop diffuse pulmonary lesions and, in more severe cases suffer from life-threatening acute respiratory failure. The pathogenesis of non-HIV infections associated with PCP is not yet clarified, and there is a lack of effective therapeutic practices that require further investigation.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , HIV Infections , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Glucocorticoids/adverse effects , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/complications , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/drug therapy , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/complicationsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: People with dementia (PwD) are known to have more chronic conditions compared to those without dementia, which can impact the clinical presentation of dementia, complicate clinical management and reduce overall quality of life. While primary care providers (PCPs) are integral to dementia care, it is currently unclear how PCPs adapt dementia care practices to account for comorbidities. This scoping review maps recent literature that describes the role for PCPs in the prevention, detection/diagnosis and management of dementia in the context of comorbidities, identifies critical knowledge gaps and proposes potential avenues for future research. METHODS: We searched for peer-reviewed literature published between 2017-2022 in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus using key terms related to dementia, primary care, and comorbidity. The literature was screened for relevance by title-abstract screening and subsequent full-text screening. The prioritized papers were categorized as either 'Risk Assessment and Prevention', 'Screening, Detection, and Diagnosis' or 'Management' and were further labelled as either 'Tools and Technologies', 'Recommendations for Clinical Practice' or 'Programs and Initiatives'. RESULTS: We identified 1,058 unique records in our search and respectively excluded 800 and 230 publications during title-abstract and full-text screening. Twenty-eight articles were included in our review, where ~ 50% describe the development and testing of tools and technologies that use pre-existing conditions to assess dementia risk. Only one publication provides official dementia screening guidelines for PCPs in people with pre-existing conditions. About 30% of the articles discuss managing the care of PwD, where most were anchored around models of multidisciplinary care and mitigating potentially inappropriate prescribing. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first scoping review that examines the role for PCPs in the prevention, detection/diagnosis and management of dementia in the context of comorbidities. Given our findings, we recommend that future studies: 1) further validate tools for risk assessment, timely detection and diagnosis that incorporate other health conditions; 2) provide additional guidance into how comorbidities could impact dementia care (including prescribing medication) in primary care settings; 3) incorporate comorbidities into primary care quality indicators for dementia; and 4) explore how to best incorporate dementia and comorbidities into models/frameworks of holistic, person-centred care.
Subject(s)
Dementia , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis , Humans , Quality of Life , Comorbidity , Patient-Centered Care , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications , Dementia/diagnosis , Dementia/epidemiology , Dementia/therapyABSTRACT
La neumonía por Pneumocystis jirovecii es una enfermedad fúngica oportunista descrita principalmente en pacientes con VIH, sin embargo, tras la introducción de la TARV, ha incrementado su incidencia en pacientes con inmunosupresión no asociada a VIH, como neoplasias hematológicas y trasplantes de órganos sólidos. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 17 años, receptor de un trasplante renal, con inmunosupresión prolongada con corticoesteroides, con cuadro clínico de tos, disnea y fiebre. La TC mostró micronódulos pulmonares centrolobulillares y vidrio esmerilado. El LBA fue compatible con hemorragia alveolar difusa (HAD), con RPC positiva para P. jirovecii. Se descartaron otras infecciones y enfermedades autoinmunes. Recibió tratamiento con cotrimoxazol con buena evolución clínica y mejoría radiológica. Si bien las causas más frecuentes de HAD son etiologías autoinmunes como enfermedades reumatológicas o vasculitis, es prioritario descartar causas infecciosas, incluyendo P. jirovecii, ya que el tratamiento dirigido puede tener un impacto significativo en la mortalidad en este grupo de pacientes.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is an opportunistic fungal infection, described mainly in HIV patients, however, after the introduction of ART, its presentation has increased in patients with non-HIV immunosuppression, such as hematological cancers, solid or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report the case of a 17-year-old male, kidney transplant patient, with prolonged immunosuppression with corticoesteroids, with history of cough, dyspnea, and fever. Chest CT evidences centrilobular pulmonary micronodules with ground glass. BAL was performed compatible with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, with positive PCR for P. jirovecii. Other infections and autoimmune disease were ruled out. He received treatment with cotrimoxazole with clinical improvement of the patient, and follow up chest CT at the end of treatment showed decrease of pulmonary infiltrates. Although the most frequent causes of DAH are autoimmune etiologies such as rheumatic diseases or vasculitis, it is a priority to rule out infectious causes, including P. jirovecii, since targeted treatment could have a significant impact on mortality outcomes in this group of patients.