Clinical Features and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Caused by Haemophilus influenzae

Abstract

Background Long regarded as the second most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), Haemophilus influenzae has recently been identified with almost equal frequency as pneumococcus in patients hospitalized for CAP. The literature lacks a detailed description of the presentation, clinical features, laboratory and radiologic findings, and outcomes in Haemophilus pneumonia. Methods During 2 prospective studies of patients hospitalized for CAP, we identified 33 patients with Haemophilus pneumonia. In order to provide context, we compared clinical findings in these patients with findings in 36 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia identified during the same period. We included and analyzed separately data from patients with viral coinfection. Patients with coinfection by other bacteria were excluded. Results Haemophilus pneumonia occurred in older adults who had underlying chronic lung disease, cardiac conditions, and alcohol use disorder, the same population at risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. However, in contrast to pneumococcal pneumonia, patients with Haemophilus pneumonia had less severe infection as shown by absence of septic shock on admission, less confusion, fewer cases of leukopenia or extreme leukocytosis, and no deaths at 30 days. Viral coinfection greatly increased the severity of Haemophilus, but not pneumococcal pneumonia. Conclusions We present the first thorough description of Haemophilus pneumonia, show that it is less severe than pneumococcal pneumonia, and document that viral coinfection greatly increases its severity. These distinctions are lost when the label CAP is liberally applied to all patients who come to the hospital from the community for pneumonia.

Candida species in community-acquired pneumonia in patients with chronic aspiration

“…The peripheral WBC count at admission was elevated (> 10,500/mm 3 ) in 4 cases. The median WBC count was 16,550/mm 3 , compared to median WBC counts of 12,800/mm 3 in pneumococcal and 12,200/mm 3 in Haemophilus pneumonia [ 17 ]. Plasma procalcitonin exceeded 0.5 ng/ml in 3 of 5 patients in whom it was tested.…”

A genome-wide association study of adults with community-acquired pneumonia

“…However, infection by other bacteria and viruses is still expected. Some other common bacteria in CAP, such as H. influenzae or Moraxella catharralis, are also probably increased in the patients without confirmed microbial etiology (Gadsby et al, 2016;Johansson et al, 2010;Musher et al, 2017;Shoar et al, 2021). These bacteria are also frequently observed in IEI predisposing to pneumococcal pneumonia, such as in HIES and TAPBP deficiency (Hanna & Etzioni, 2014;Shrestha et al, 2012;Zimmer et al, 2005).…”

An Unusual Case of Severe Pneumonia Caused Due Candida Tropicalis With a Favorable Clinical Response to Antifungals in a Nonimmunocompromised Patient From the Community

“…Most of these results have been reported in postmortem studies. 5 Pneumonia due to Candida is an unusual diagnosis, and it has been exclusively related to severe immunosuppression, malignant tumors, and hematogenous spread from an initial source. As previously mentioned, a definitive diagnosis requires histologic confirmation.…”

“…Severe pneumonia is a common condition found among patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 1 1154652H ICXXX10.1177/23247096231154652Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case ReportsBriones-Claudett et al research-article20232023 1 Universidad de Las Americas, Quito, Ecuador 2 Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security, Babahoyo, Ecuador 3 OMNI Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador 4 Physiology and Respiratory-Center Briones-Claudett, Ecuador 5 Centro de Investigación Microbiológica, Guayaquil, Ecuador 6 Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador 7 Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador 8 Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador…”