Prevalence of Fungal Pneumonia among Respiratory Illness Patients

Abstract Background Fungal pneumonia is an infectious process in the lungs caused by one or more endemic or opportunistic fungi. Fungal infection occurs following the inhalation of spores, inhalation of conidia, or by the reactivation of a latent infection. Hematogenous dissemination frequently occurs, especially in an immunocompromised host. Endemic fungal pathogens (e.g. Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Sporothrix schenckii, Cryptococcus neoformans) cause infection in healthy hosts and in immunocompromised persons. Opportunistic fungal organisms (e.g. Candida species, Aspergillus species, Mucor species) tend to cause pneumonia in patients with congenital or acquired defects in host immune defenses. Aim of the Work To assess the prevalence of fungal Infection in a group of Chest Patients and to identify their pattern. Patients and Methods After ethical committee approval and informed consent from the patients, this prospective cross-sectional study was performed on a total of 110 patients with history of preexisting lung disease and immunosuppression from corticosteroids who were admitted in Ain Shams University from March 2021 till February 2022. Results As evident from the current study, the prevalence of pulmonary fungal infection was 36.4% in patients with respiratory diseases and the most common significant independent risk factors and comorbid disease were Diabetes mellitus and Quinolones for getting fungal infection. Conclusion Pulmonary fungal infection important problem in patients with respiratory diseases especially in patients who are admitted to the respiratory ICU regardless of their age, sex, fungal species, Covid-19 vaccination, antibiotics used, laboratory or CT findings.