Pneumonia in an immunocompromised host describes a lung infection that occurs in a person whose ability to fight infection is greatly reduced.

See also:

• Hospital-acquired pneumonia
• Mycoplasma pneumonia
• Pneumonia - cytomegalovirus
• Pneumonia
• Viral pneumonia
• Walking pneumonia

People who are immunocompromised have a defective immune response. Because of this, they are susceptible to infections by germs that do not cause disease in healthy people. They are also more vulnerable to the usual causes of pneumonia, which can affect anyone.

Immunosuppression can be caused by HIV infection, leukemia, organ transplantation, bone marrow transplant, and medications to treat cancer.

• Cough - may be dry or produce mucus-like, greenish, or pus-like sputum
• Chills with shaking
• Easy fatigue
• Fever
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sharp or stabbingchest pain that gets worse with deep breathing or coughing
• Shortness of breath

Additional symptoms that may occur:

• Excessive sweating or night sweats
• Joint stiffness (rare)
• Muscle stiffness (rare)
• Swollen glands

The doctor may hear crackles or other abnormal breath sounds when listening to the chest with stethoscope. Lack of breath sounds can be an important sign.

Tests may include:

• Chest x-ray
• Sputum gram stain
• Arterial blood gases
• Blood culture
• Complete blood count
• Bronchoscopy
• Chest CT scan, in certain cases
• Lung biopsy, in certain cases