Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in Pregnancy

Early Predictors of Mortality from Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in HIV-Infected Patients: 1985-2006

“…These studies had differing definitions for diagnosis (laboratory-confirmed PCP or "empirical" PCP) and survival (1 or 3 months); in addition, each study examined only a small number of risk factors. By contrast, several single-center studies, each of which describe !150 patients, have identified increasing patient age [8,9], prior receipt of PCP prophylaxis [10], poor oxygenation at hospitalization [11,12], elevated lactate dehydrogenase enzyme levels [13], low hemoglobin [14] and serum albumin [15] levels, bacterial infection [12], cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection [8], neutrophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid [16,17], comorbidity [18,19], pneumothorax [20][21][22], and the need for mechanical ventilation [20][21][22] as being associated with death. These studies are inconsistent, because not all of these studies show these factors to be associated with mortality.…”

Pregnancy and Asymptomatic Carriage ofPneumocystis jiroveci

“…In addition, this physiologic compensation generates an increase in illness and death from other infections that require a protective Th1 response as, for example, tuberculosis, malaria, American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, lysteriosis, and pneumocystosis. Reports indicate that illness in HIV-infected women with PCP is greater when the women are pregnant ( 7 ). However, no data show that pregnant women may be asymptomatic carriers of P. jiroveci .…”

Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Pregnancy

“…Chest radiograph reveals a diffuse infiltrate. In the study by Ahmad et al, 29 60% of pregnant women with PCP required intubation with ventilatory support. The mortality rate for those with PCP is correspondingly high at about 50%.…”