Pulmonary infections in AIDS

Based on our experience, we would like to offer a few pragmatic suggestions for the practicing clinician. These recommendations are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. The first encounter with most patients gives the impression of either a dramatic acute infection, usually in the lungs, central nervous system, or gastrointestinal tract (in this order of frequency), or that of a chronic wasting disease. The former is frequently superimposed on the latter. The exploration of AIDS risk factors and a few easily detectable physical signs are the most important clues to the correct clinical diagnosis. Once AIDS is suspected, an aggressive and rapid approach for diagnosis is justified. Selected individually for each patient, the most commonly successful tests include bronchoscopy with BAL and/or transbronchial lung biopsy; bone marrow, lymph node, or liver biopsy with both microbiologic and pathologic processing of the material; blood (and often spinal fluid) cultures for fungal organisms; cranial computerized tomographic scan; and toxoplasma serology. Other tests, while potentially useful, are less important in immediate decision-making and treatment. In all cases of respiratory compromise or symptoms related to the chest, PCP has to be ruled out by invasive methods if the suspicion of AIDS is sufficiently strong. The diagnosis of one opportunistic infection should not be interpreted as a final answer. Rather, it should stimulate more vigilant efforts to uncover additional infections and other AIDS-related diseases if any abnormalities remain unexplained or persist despite treatment. Chest radiology should not be the main tool to diagnose or monitor lung infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)