Non-HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia in the intensive care unit: A bicentric, retrospective study focused on predictive factors of in-hospital mortality.

BACKGROUND

The incidence of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) among patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to increase. Here, we identified potential risk factors for in-hospital mortality among HIV-negative patients with PCP admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 154 non-HIV-infected PCP patients admitted to the ICU at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and China-Japan Friendship Hospital (CJFH) from October 2012 to July 2020. Clinical characteristics were examined, and factors related to in-hospital mortality were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 154 patients were enrolled in our study. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 65.6%. The univariate analysis indicated that nonsurvivors were older (58 vs. 52 years, P = 0.021), were more likely to use high-dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent, 39.62% vs. 55.34%, P = 0.047), receive caspofungin during hospitalization (44.6% vs. 28.3%, P = 0.049), require invasive ventilation (83.2% vs. 47.2%, P < 0.001), develop shock during hospitalization (61.4% vs. 20.8%, P < 0.001), and develop pneumomediastinum (21.8% vs. 47.2%, P = 0.001) and had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores on ICU admission (20.32 vs. 17.39, P = 0.003), lower lymphocyte counts (430 vs. 570 cells/μl, P = 0.014), and lower PaO2/FiO2 values (mmHg) on admission (108 vs. 147, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.06; P = 0.024), use of high-dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent) during hospitalization (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.07-4.90; P = 0.034), and a low oxygenation index on admission (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-1.00; P = 0.014) were associated with in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality rate of non-HIV-infected patients with PCP was high, and predictive factors of a poor prognosis were advanced age, use of high-dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent) during hospitalization, and a low oxygenation index on admission. The use of caspofungin during hospitalization might have no contribution to the prognosis of non-HIV-infected patients with PCP in the ICU.