Pneumocystosis is an opportunistic infectious disease caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii , which reaches the lungs and causes difficulty in breathing, dry cough and chills, for example.
This disease is considered opportunistic because it usually occurs in people who have a compromised immune system, such as those who have AIDS, who have had a transplant or are undergoing chemotherapy, for example.
The treatment for pneumocystosis is done according to the recommendation of the pulmonologist, and the use of antimicrobial drugs is generally indicated for about 3 weeks.
Main symptoms
Pneumocystosis symptoms are not very specific, which can cause it to be confused with other lung diseases. The main symptoms of this disease are:
- Fever; Dry cough; Difficulty breathing; Chills; Chest pain; Excessive tiredness.
Pneumocystosis symptoms usually evolve rapidly and persist for more than 2 weeks, so it is important to consult the general practitioner or pulmonologist so that tests can be carried out and the diagnosis can be reached.
Diagnosis of pneumocystosis
The diagnosis of pneumocystosis is made by the doctor based on the result of chest X-ray, bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchoscopy, in which changes in the lung tissue and pulmonary infiltrate are observed, being indicative of pneumocystosis. In addition, the doctor may recommend sputum collection, for example, so that the presence of fungi is microscopically checked, since it does not grow in the appropriate culture medium for fungus.
To complement the diagnosis of pneumocystosis, the doctor may recommend the dosage of the enzyme Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), which is elevated in these cases, and arterial blood gases, which is a test that checks the functioning of the lungs, including the amount of oxygen. in the blood, which in the case of pneumocystosis is low. Understand what blood gas analysis is and how it is done.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for pneumocystosis recommended by the general practitioner or pulmonologist involves the use of antimicrobials, with the use of Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim being usually indicated, orally or intravenously, for about 3 weeks.
However, when this treatment does not result in improvement of the patient, the doctor can opt for the second line of treatment, which is done with another antimicrobial, Pentamidine, which is for intravenous use and is usually indicated for 3 weeks.
It is important that the treatment indicated by the doctor is followed according to his recommendation to prevent the fungus from proliferating and further interfering with the patient's immune system, causing complications and even death.
