Biomaterial Database

Pleural effusions in hospitalized patients with AIDS. 1993

J Joseph, and C Strange, and S A Sahn

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence, cause, and characteristics of pleural effusions in hospitalized patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). METHODS Retrospective. METHODS A total of 222 patients with AIDS hospitalized between January 1986 and January 1992 at the Medical University of South Carolina hospitals. RESULTS Pleural effusions occurred in 59 patients for an overall incidence of 27%. The mean age of the patients was 35 +/- 2 years (SE) and the male to female ratio was 5:1. The cause was infectious in 39 (66%) patients, noninfectious in 18 (31%), and unknown in 2 (3%). Pleural effusions were caused by bacterial pneumonia in 18 (31%) patients, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in 9 (15%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 5 (8%), septic embolism in 2 (3%), Nocardia asteroides in 2 (3%), cryptococcus neoformans in 2 (3%), and Mycobacterium arium intracellulare in 1 (2%). Among noninfectious causes (n = 18), hypoalbuminemia was the cause in 11 patients (19%), cardiac failure in 3 (5%), and atelectasis, Kaposi sarcoma, uremic pleurisy, and adult respiratory distress syndrome in 1 (2%) each. Patients with AIDS who had pleural effusions had significantly lower serum albumin levels and had lower CD4 counts than did those without pleural effusions (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Pleural effusions are common in hospitalized patients with AIDS. Bacterial pneumonia is the most common cause for pleural effusion in AIDS. Large effusions are associated with Kaposi sarcoma and tuberculosis. Hypoalbuminemia is a common cause of noninfectious pleural effusions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007019	Hypoproteinemia	A condition in which total serum protein level is below the normal range. Hypoproteinemia can be caused by protein malabsorption in the gastrointestinal tract, EDEMA, or PROTEINURIA.	Hypoproteinemias
D008297	Male		Males
D010996	Pleural Effusion	Presence of fluid in the pleural cavity resulting from excessive transudation or exudation from the pleural surfaces. It is a sign of disease and not a diagnosis in itself.	Effusion, Pleural,Effusions, Pleural,Pleural Effusions
D005260	Female		Females
D006760	Hospitalization	The confinement of a patient in a hospital.	Hospitalizations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000163	Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome	An acquired defect of cellular immunity associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a CD4-positive T-lymphocyte count under 200 cells/microliter or less than 14% of total lymphocytes, and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignant neoplasms. Clinical manifestations also include emaciation (wasting) and dementia. These elements reflect criteria for AIDS as defined by the CDC in 1993.	AIDS,Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immunologic Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndromes,Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Immunodeficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Syndrome, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immunodeficiency
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor