Current opinion in pulmonary medicine
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Review Comparative Study
Nosocomial pulmonary infections in HIV-positive patients.
Nosocomial infections (NI) constitute a significant public health problem and contribute to prolonged hospitalization, additional healthcare costs, and excess morbidity and mortality. Immunocompromised patients, including HIV-infected individuals, are at increased risk for NI, and 15-18.3% of them are represented by lower respiratory tract infections. Nosocomial pulmonary infections (NPI) appear to be more common in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as a result of the degree of immunosuppression, prior use of antibiotics, and exposure to invasive procedures. ⋯ Although underestimated, NI occur commonly in HIV-infected patients, and among them nosocomial pneumonia, including tuberculosis and bacterial pneumonia, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The improvement of antiretroviral therapeutic options in developed countries has resulted in a decreased hospitalization rate of HIV-infected individuals. Healthcare delivery in the in- and outpatient setting represents a potential for infections, including lower respiratory tract ones, according to the degree of immunosuppression and the intensity of invasive procedures. To minimize the risk of acquisition of healthcare associated low respiratory tract infections, adherence of healthcare workers to common infection practices, specific respiratory precautions, and early identification of persons who have tuberculosis or are at high risk for active tuberculosis, should be strengthened.
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Review Comparative Study
Noninfectious pulmonary complications of HIV/AIDS.
This article reviews recent findings on noninfectious pulmonary complications of HIV/AIDS, with a focus on HIV/AIDS-related lung malignancies and pulmonary hypertension, and discusses their incidence in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. ⋯ The beneficial effect of HAART and improved immune response on the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma and AIDS-related lymphoma suggests that HIV or viral-induced immunosuppression plays an important role in the development of these malignancies. Evidence from current studies suggests that HAART does not protect against HIV-related lung cancer. The full impact of HAART on HIV pulmonary hypertension remains to be determined.
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This review summarises some of the notable papers on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) from January 2003 to October 2004. ⋯ Prevention remains the key to reducing VAP prevalence.
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Editorial Comparative Study
Towards improving outcomes of fatal pulmonary infections.