Pulmonary pathogens in induced sputum in persons with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Trinidad

ABSTRACT

A study was undertaken to identify the common micro-organisms occuring in induced sputum specimens from HIV-infected/non-infected individuals with pulmonary manifestations in Trinidad. Only 13 percent of HIV seropositive patients with pneumonia were found to be positive for P. carinii. This low yield may have been due to low prevalence of the P. carinii in Trinidad or to prior antibiotic therapy. Active mycobacterial infection was demonstrated in only 13 percent HIV seropositive patients with pneumonia, though 43 percent HIV patients had a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis. This may have been due to the low sensitivity of the acid-fast technique. The most common microbial pathogen is identified in HIV patients with pneumonia was Candida sp. Followed by gram negative bacteria. A listing is made of the various organisms occuring singly or mixed in HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative patients (AU)