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Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Última revisão: 26 Nov 2025
Última atualização: 19 Nov 2024

Resumo

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • HIV-positive
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • oropharyngeal candidiasis
  • recurrent bacterial pneumonia
  • weight loss
  • longer duration of symptoms (HIV-positive patients)
  • rapid onset of symptoms (HIV-negative patients)
  • fever
  • dry cough
  • dyspnea
  • fatigue
  • normal chest examination
  • tachycardia
  • tachypnea or respiratory distress
  • cyanosis
  • extrapulmonary manifestations
  • pleuritic chest pain
  • unilateral diminished breath sounds
Full details

Risk factors

  • CD4 cell count <200 cells/microliter
  • immunocompromised state
  • chronic corticosteroid therapy
  • prior Pneumocystis pneumonia
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • chest x-ray
  • arterial blood gas
  • serum LDH level
  • induced sputum
Full details

Tests to consider

  • high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest
  • pulmonary function testing
  • bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
  • biopsy
Full details

Emerging tests

  • polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  • plasma S-adenosylmethionine level
  • serum (1,3)-beta-D-glucan level

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

high-risk for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) infection

ACUTE

adults or adolescents: HIV-positive

children: HIV-positive or at risk for HIV

immunocompromised adults or adolescents: HIV-negative and not solid-organ transplant recipients

immunocompromised adults or adolescents or children: HIV-negative and solid-organ transplant recipients

ONGOING

completed successful treatment of PCP infection

Contributors

Authors

Alison Morris, MD, MS
Alison Morris

Professor of Medicine

Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

PA

Disclosures

AM is an author of a number of references cited in this topic.

Ioannis Konstantinidis, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

PA

Divulgaciones

IK declares that he has no competing interests.

Agradecimientos

Dr Alison Morris and Dr Ioannis Konstantinidis would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Eric Nolley and Dr Matthew Gingo, previous contributors to this topic.

Divulgaciones

EN and MG declare that they have no competing interests.

Revisores por pares

Peter D. Walzer, MD, MSc

Associate Chief of Staff for Research

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

Professor of Medicine

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati

OH

Divulgaciones

PDW declares that he has no competing interests.

David Spencer, MBChB(UCT), MMed (Wits)

Specialist Physician and Consultant

Toga Laboratory and Kimera Consultants

Edenvale

Johannesburg

South Africa

Divulgaciones

DS declares that he has no competing interests.

Graeme Meintjes, MBChB, MRCP, FCP, DipHIVMan

Infectious Diseases Physician

Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine

Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Observatory

South Africa

Divulgaciones

GM declares that he has no competing interests.

Agradecimiento de los revisores por pares

Los temas de BMJ Best Practice se actualizan de forma continua de acuerdo con los desarrollos en la evidencia y en las guías. Los revisores por pares listados aquí han revisado el contenido al menos una vez durante la historia del tema.

Divulgaciones

Las afiliaciones y divulgaciones de los revisores por pares se refieren al momento de la revisión.

Referencias

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Artículos principales

Palella FJ, Delaney KM, Moorman FC, et al. Declining morbidity and mortality among patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med. 1998 Mar 26;338(13):853-60.Texto completo  Resumen

National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and American Academy of Pediatrics. Panel on Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in children with and exposed to HIV: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Nov 2013 [internet publication].Texto completo

National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Medicine Association, and Infectious Diseases Society of America. Panel on Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV. Pneumocystis pneumonia. Sep 2024 [internet publication].Texto completo

Taplitz RA, Kennedy EB, Bow EJ, et al. Antimicrobial prophylaxis for adult patients with cancer-related immunosuppression: ASCO and IDSA clinical practice guideline update. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Oct 20;36(30):3043-54.Texto completo  Resumen

Tomblyn M, Chiller T, Einsele H, et al. Guidelines for preventing infectious complications among hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients: a global perspective. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2009 Oct;15(10):1143-238.Texto completo  Resumen

Fishman JA, Gans H, AST Infectious Diseases Community of Practice. Pneumocystis jiroveci in solid organ transplantation: guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice. Clin Transplant. 2019 Sep;33(9):e13587. Resumen

Limper AH, Knox KS, Sarosi GA, et al. An official American Thoracic Society statement: treatment of fungal infections in adult pulmonary and critical care patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Jan 1;183(1):96-128.Texto completo  Resumen

Ewald H, Raatz H, Boscacci R, et al. Adjunctive corticosteroids for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in patients with HIV infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Apr 2;(4):CD006150.Texto completo  Resumen

Cooley L, Dendle C, Wolf J, et al. Consensus guidelines for diagnosis, prophylaxis and management of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with haematological and solid malignancies, 2014. Intern Med J. 2014 Dec;44(12b):1350-63.Texto completo  Resumen

Maertens J, Cesaro S, Maschmeyer G, et al. ECIL guidelines for preventing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with haematological malignancies and stem cell transplant recipients. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2016 Sep;71(9):2397-404.Texto completo  Resumen

Classen AY, Henze L, von Lilienfeld-Toal M, et al. Primary prophylaxis of bacterial infections and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors: 2020 updated guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Working Party of the German Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology (AGIHO/DGHO). Ann Hematol. 2021 Jun;100(6):1603-20.Texto completo  Resumen

Artículos de referencia

Una lista completa de las fuentes a las que se hace referencia en este tema está disponible para los usuarios con acceso a todo BMJ Best Practice.
  • Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia images
  • Diferenciales

    • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
    • Bacterial pneumonia
    • Coccidioidomycosis
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  • Guías de práctica clínica

    • Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV: pneumocystis pneumonia
    • Primary prophylaxis of bacterial infections and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors
    Más Guías de práctica clínica
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