pulmonary disorders
Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients
Prevention of Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients
Therapies to enhance immune system function are indicated for the prevention of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. For example, patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia should receive granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF, orfilgrastim), and patients with hypogammaglobulinemia due to an inherited or acquired disease (eg, multiple myeloma, leukemia) should receive IV immune globulin. Patients with HIV and CD4+ T cell count<200/microL should receive daily prophylactic therapy withtrimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or other appropriate therapy. Vaccination is also important in these patients. For example, patients at risk of pneumonia with encapsulated bacteria (eg, hypogammaglobulinemia, asplenia) should receive vaccinations against Pneumococcal Vaccine and 