A while ago, 35-year-old Mr. Qian coughed and couldn't breathe, and when he went to the hospital, he was found to have "worms" in his lungs. This "worm" is very fatal, and loves to patronize people with low immunity.
Mr. Qian underwent a kidney transplant two years ago and needs to take anti-rejection medication regularly for a long time. A while ago, he suddenly developed an irritating dry cough, accompanied by shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. At first, he thought it was just a common cold, but after taking the medicine, his condition did not improve, and he became more and more strained to breathe. For this reason, he went to the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University for treatment.
A series of tests revealed that Mr. Qian had a low lymphocyte count, elevated inflammatory markers, and an infection in both lungs. Dr. Lin Xiuhua, who received the consultation, judged that Mr. Qian's condition was dangerous and he must be found as soon as possible.
After bronchoscopic alveolar lavage, Mr. Qian's samples were found to be **-Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. After symptomatic treatment, Mr. Qian's symptoms were relieved, his inflammatory indicators decreased, and he has been discharged from the hospital.
Pneumocystis is also known as Pneumocystis because it was thought to be a protozoa and was later shown to be a fungus. It can inhabit the human respiratory system and is an opportunistic pathogen capable of infecting the human body. Lin Xiuhua introduced that Pneumocystis is a relatively rare pathogen in clinical infection, but it is not uncommon in groups like Mr. Qian who need to take immunosuppressants for a long time because of organ transplantation, or immunodeficiency such as AIDS.
Statistics show that the incidence of Pneumocystis infection is 2% to 11% after kidney transplantation, and the incidence is high at 3 to 6 months after transplantation, and there is still a risk of Pneumocystis infection in the long-term postoperative period, which is mainly related to the immune status of patients.
It is important to note that the case fatality rate of the disease is extremely high, and many patients may progress from a cold to respiratory failure in a short period of time, and the mortality rate can be as high as 100% if not prompted**.
Lin Xiuhua reminded that patients after organ transplantation should seek medical attention in time once they have symptoms such as fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. (Reporter Chen Dan Correspondent Chunmei).