PNEUMONIA IN AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENT

Course overview

PNEUMONIA IS A COMMON CLINICAL CONDITION. IT RESULTS FROM AN INFECTIOUS INFLAMMATORY PROCESS THAT INVOLVES THE LUNG PARENCHYMA AND RESULTS IN THE IMPAIRMENT OF GASEOUS EXCHANGE. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY OF CONCERN IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE WORSE OUTCOMES THAN SEEN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS ARE ALSO VULNERABLE TO OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS. TO AVOID THE HIGH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH PNEUMONIA IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS, IT MUST BE DIAGNOSED AND TREATED EARLY ON IN THE DISEASE PROCESS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PNEUMONIA IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.