Pneumonia in HIV-Infected Patients Essay Example

Research question: What epidemiology, types of pneumonia, viral infections, and ways of treatment, as well as prevention, relate to Pneumonia in HIV-infected patients?

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Pneumonia is an infectious disease by itself. It is an infection of one or both lungs either caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria. On the other hand, AIDS is a disease of the immune system. HIV, which is the causal factor for AIDS at its final stages, disrupts the normal body functioning by destroying white blood cells. People suffering from HIV/AIDS tend to acquire other diseases including pneumonia that other people can solve as they easily affect the weak immune system.

This project focuses on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, and ways of treatment as well as prevention of Pneumonia as it prevails on patients with AIDS. Pneumonia causes an inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs causing the lungs to be filled with fluid hence leading to a persistent cough, and difficulties in breathing. Pneumonia can be serious or even mild. It commonly prevails to children less than 2 years old and the elderly, who are people older than 65 years of age. However, in its relation to AIDS, it affects anyone as they all have weakened immune systems, which can encourage the disease easily. Certain chronic diseases also encourage the condition including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Depending on the seriousness of the condition, the symptoms may vary over different people. Some of them may include fatigue, fever, and nausea. As soon as the symptoms are noticed, one is advised to see a doctor. The condition becomes life-threatening as soon as it affects the immune system of the HIV-infected. The HIV virus is spread through body fluids that weaken the immune system leading to the prevalence of other diseases. The virus spreads to white blood cells that are responsible for fighting infection. It affects the CD4 cells and replicates itself to further weaken the immune system of an individual. Once critically spread, the body's immune system becomes unable to fight other infectious diseases such as pneumonia. If left untreated, the condition may be fatal as attacks by diseases such as pneumonia may be incurable. HIV may be characterized by swollen glands. Additionally, settings with HIV infection tend to show complaints of respiratory symptoms such as a cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Low counts of CD4 cells predispose an individual to bacterial infections easily (Afessa and Bethany 1018). There has been a complexity in dealing with the etiology, diagnosis, and management of the various types of pneumonia in HIV-infected persons (Schlech 305). The two diseases are related in that bacterial pneumonia is the most prevalent with it being a source of further illnesses and any complaints related to them ought to be taken in a serious manner. Any attempt to reduce the illness should stress the significance of avoiding contacts with infected air.

Conclusion

The significance of Afessa and Bethany's article 'Bacterial Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients with HIV Infection' is to define the general epidemiology of different types of pneumonia, viral infections and ways of approaching the patients exhibiting the condition. The article provides knowledge regarding the modifiable risk factors that educate more on the morbidity from the illness. On the other hand, Schlech's 'Pneumonia in HIV-Infected Patients' aims at describing the incidence and types of bacterial pneumonia in a clinical setting of HIV-infected patients with the intent of concluding with the factors associated with the disease hence, its later impacts on the patients.

Works cited

Afessa, Bekele, and Bethany Green. "Bacterial Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients with HIV Infection." Chest, vol. 117, no. 4, 2000, pp. 1017-1022., doi:10.1378/chest.117.4.1017.

Schlech, Walter F. "Pneumonia in HIV-Infected Patients." Community-Acquired Pneumonia, pp. 305-320., doi:10.1007/0-306-46834-4_20.