CASE-REPORT - ACUTE POSTOPERATIVE RESPIRATORY-FAILURE CAUSED BY CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE AND DIAGNOSED BY BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE

Most Chlamydia pneumoniae infections are mild, but 10% develop into pn eumonia. C. pneumoniae has been observed in hospital in intubated pati ents undergoing major surgery or admitted with severe trauma. A patien t with squamous cell carcinoma in whom severe pneumonia developed post pneumonectomy and who required mechanical ventilation is presented. Th e patient was initially treated for nosocomial bacterial pneumonia wit h the broad spectrum antibiotics ceftazidime, amikacin, and vancomycin . The patient underwent a bronchoalveolar lavage, from which C. pneumo niae was grown. Generally, these patients are a high-risk mortality gr oup. Only after substituting the above antibiotics with doxycycline, t o which C. pneumoniae was sensitive, did the pneumonia respond. Whethe r this was a nosocomial or a community-acquired pneumonia is uncertain .