Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

Although Haemophilus influenzae is a common etiologic agent of pneumonia in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the characteris tics of this pneumonia have not been adequately assessed. We have prospecti vely studied features of H. influenzae pneumonia in 26 consecutive HIV-infe cted inpatients. Most of these patients were severely immunosuppressed; 73. 1% had a CD4(+) cell count <100/mu L. A subacute clinical presentation was observed in 27% of the patients and was associated with a higher degree of immunosuppression (P = .04), Bilateral lung infiltrates were noted radiogra phically in 57.7% of the cases. The mortality attributable to N, influenzae pneumonia was 11.5%, Thus, pneumonia caused by N. influenzae affects mainl y patients with advanced HIV disease, and since its clinical and radiologic al features may be diverse, this etiology should be considered when pneumon ia occurs in patients with advanced HIV infection, The mortality rate assoc iated with N. influenzae pneumonia is not higher than that occurring in the general population.