Pneumocystis jirovecii diagnosed by next-generation sequencing of bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND The advent of molecular targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors has greatly improved the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma(RCC), thus significantly improving patient survival. The incidence of rare drug-related adverse events has gained increased attention.CASE SUMMARY We report a patient with advanced RCC treated with multiple lines of molecular targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors, who developed a pulmonary infection after treatment with everolimus in combination with lenvatinib. Determining the pathogenic organism was difficult, but it was eventually identified as Pneumocystis jirovecii by next-generation sequencing(NGS) of bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and successfully treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.CONCLUSION Rare pulmonary infections caused by molecular targeted agents are not uncommon in clinical practice, but their diagnosis is difficult. Evaluating BALF with NGS is a good method for rapid diagnosis of such infections.

Analysis of the Efficacy of Humidified High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy Combined with Alveolar Lavage in the Treatment of Patients with Severe Pneumonia Complicated with Respiratory Failure

Objective:To analyze the curative effect of humidified high-flow nasal oxygen therapy combined with alveolar lavage in patients with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure.Methods:120 patients with severe pneumonia complicated with respiratory failure admitted to the Third People’s Hospital of Xining from July 2021 to December 2022 were randomly divided into two groups:group A and group B.The patients in group A were given humidified high-flow nasal oxygen therapy combined with alveolar lavage,whereas those in group B were given humidified high-flow nasal oxygen therapy.The treatment efficacy,blood gas analysis results,and differences in inflammatory mediators were compared between the two groups.Results:The curative effect in group A(96.67%)was significantly higher than that in group B(81.67%),P<0.05;the partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2),partial pressure of oxygen(PaO2),oxygen saturation(SpO2),and Horowitz index(P/F)of group A were significantly better than group B,P<0.05;the interleukin 6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),and C-reactive protein(CRP)levels,white blood cell(WBC)count,serum procalcitonin(PCT),and neutrophil(N)percentage of group A were significantly lower than those of group B,P<0.05.Conclusion:For patients with severe pneumonia complicated with respiratory failure,alveolar lavage,on the basis of humidified high-flow oxygen therapy,can inhibit local inflammation,improve blood gas analysis results,promote disease recovery,and improve the clinical treatment effect。

Massive pulmonary haemorrhage due to severe trauma treated with repeated alveolar lavage combined with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation:A case report

BACKGROUND Massive pulmonary haemorrhage can spoil the entire lung and block the airway in a short period of time due to severe bleeding,which quickly leads to death.Alveolar lavage is an effective method for haemostasis and airway maintenance.However,patients often cannot tolerate alveolar lavage due to severe hypoxia.We used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)to overcome this limitation in a patient with massive pulmonary haemorrhage due to severe trauma and succeeded in saving the life by repeated alveolar lavage.CASE SUMMARY A 22-year-old man sustained multiple injuries in a motor vehicle accident and was transferred to our emergency department.On admission,he had a slight cough and a small amount of bloody sputum;computed tomography revealed multiple fractures and mild pulmonary contusion.At 37 h after admission,he developed severe chest tightness,chest pain,dizziness and haemoptysis.His oxygen saturation was 68%.Emergency endotracheal intubation was performed,and a large amount of bloody sputum was suctioned.After transfer to the intensive care unit,he developed refractory hypoxemia and heparin-free venovenous ECMO was initiated.Fibreoptic bronchoscopy revealed diffuse and profuse blood in all bronchopulmonary segment.Bleeding was observed in the trachea and right bronchus,and repeated alveolar lavage was performed.On day 3,the patient’s haemoptysis ceased,and ECMO support was terminated 10 d later.Tracheostomy was performed on day 15,and the patient was weaned from the ventilator on day 21.CONCLUSION Alveolar lavage combined with ECMO can control bleeding in trauma-induced massive pulmonary haemorrhage,is safe and can be performed bedside.

Analysis of Clinical Symptoms Improvement in Treatment of Severe Pneumonia Caused by Multi-drug Resistant Bacterial Infection by Bronchoscopy Alveolar Lavage

Objective:To explore the effects of bronchoscopy alveolar lavage in the treatment of severe pneumonia caused by multiple drug bacterial infection.Methods:A total of 84 patients with severe pneumonia infected by multi-drug resistant bacteria were randomly selected from Kunming Second People's Hospital,which is our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 for this research.They were divided into a reference group and a study group using a digital table method,with 42 cases in each group.The reference group was given the routine treatment,the research group performed bronchoscopy alveolar lavage on this basis to observe the curative effect.Results:Before treatment,there was no significant difference in serum factor indexes and blood gas analysis indexes between the two groups of patients,P>0.05.After treatment,the time of fever,cough,moist rales disappearing and infection control time in the study group were shorter than those in the reference group,P<0.05.Serum tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-8(IL-8)levels were lower than the reference group,and the arterial partial pressure of oxygen(PO2)and oxygen saturation(SO2)were both lower than the reference group,P<0.05.The effective rate of the treatment in the study group was higher than that in the reference group,P<0.05.Conclusion:Bronchoscopic alveolar lavage treatment can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with severe pneumonia caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection,and the effects are significant.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis induced by X-linked agammaglobulinemia:A case report

BACKGROUND Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis(PAP)and X-linked agammaglobulinemia(XLA)are rare diseases in children.Many theories infer that immunodeficiency can induce PAP,but these reports are almost all review articles,and there is little clinical evidence.We report the case of a child with both PAP and XLA.CASE SUMMARY A 4-month-old boy sought medical treatment due to coughing and difficulty in breathing for>2 wk.He had been hospitalized multiple times due to respiratory infections and diarrhea.Chest computed tomography and alveolar lavage fluid showed typical PAP-related manifestations.Genetic testing confirmed that the boy also had XLA.Following total lung alveolar lavage and intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy,the boy recovered and was discharged.During the follow-up period,the number of respiratory infections was significantly reduced,and PAP did not recur.CONCLUSION XLA can induce PAP and improving immune function contributes to the prognosis of children with this type of PAP.

Clinical approach for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in children

In this editorial,we discuss the clinical implications of the article by Zhang et al.Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis(PAP)is a rare lung disease characterized by excessive surfactant accumulation in the alveoli.It is classified into four categories:Primary,secondary,congenital,and unclassified forms.Primary PAP is caused by the disruption of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)receptor signaling,which is necessary for the clearance of surfactant by alveolar macrophages.It is further divided into autoimmune PAP,caused by anti-GM-CSF antibodies blocking alveolar macrophage activation,and hereditary PAP,resulting from mutations in genes encoding GM-CSF receptors.Secondary PAP develops due to conditions affecting the number or function of alveolar macrophages,such as infections,immunodeficiency,hematological disorders,or exposure to inhaled toxins.Congenital PAP is linked to mutations in genes involved in surfactant protein production.Notably,the causes of PAP differ between children and adults.Diagnostic features include a characteristic"crazypaving"pattern on high-resolution computed tomography,accompanied by diffuse ground-glass opacities and interlobular septal thickening.The presence of PAP can be identified by the milky appearance of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and histological evaluation.However,these methods cannot definitively determine the cause of PAP.Whole lung lavage remains the standard treatment,often combined with specific therapies based on the underlying cause.