Respiratory Tract Infections: Sinusitis, Bronchitis, and Pneumonia

Solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients are at increased risk of upper and lower respiratory tract infections. While these infections are frequently encountered in the general population, the spectrum of their clinical presentation including morbidity and mortality is increased in patients undergoing transplantation procedures. Impaired innate and adaptive immunity, potential anatomical abnormalities resulting from extensive surgical procedures, presences of indwelling medical devices, and increased healthcare exposure put transplant recipients at particularly high risk for respiratory tract disease. Infections of the respiratory tract can be divided into those affecting the paranasal sinuses, the upper airways such as bronchitis and tracheobronchitis, and the lower airways like pneumonia. Each of these clinical syndromes can further be classified based on their chronicity, acute vs. chronic; their setting, community vs. nosocomial; and the etiology such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and rarely parasites. It is also important to realize that such immunologically vulnerable patients are at risk for polymicrobial infection that may present concurrently or in a sequential, consecutive fashion. This chapter reviews the common respiratory tract infections affecting transplant recipients with particular attention directed toward epidemiological risk factors, clinical presentations, diagnostic strategies, and common pathogens. Specific causes of opportunistic pneumonias are also reviewed.