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A Case of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in a Severely Malnourished, HIV‐Negative Patient
Author(s) -
Attalla El Halabieh Nadia,
Petrillo Enrico,
Laviano Alessandro,
Delfino Massimo,
Rossi Fanelli Filippo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607114548072
Subject(s) - pneumocystis jirovecii , malnutrition , medicine , intensive care medicine , pneumocystis pneumonia , pneumonia , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , parenteral nutrition , immunology , medical nutrition therapy , clinical significance , immunodeficiency , immune system , pediatrics
Malnutrition increases the risk of infections in patients receiving medical and surgical procedures, but it is not clear whether it may facilitate also the development of opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–negative patients not receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Here we report the first case of a non‐HIV, severely malnourished woman who developed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. This report highlights the clinical relevance of malnutrition as a determinant of immune suppression, which in turn may also favor opportunistic infections. Therefore, routine nutrition screening and assessment, as well as timely start of nutrition therapy, should be prioritized in daily clinical practice to reduce complications and improve outcome.