Sirolimus combined with oseltamivir and corticosteroid treatment for a puerpera with severe pneumonia caused by 2009 pandemic H1N1: A case report

Severe pneumonia in patients infected with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was partially attributed to excessive immune response. Anti-virus treatment for these patients was insufficient. Here we reported the therapy effect of sirolimus, an immunosuppressor, combined with oseltamivir and corticosteroid for a puerpera with severe pneumonia caused by pH1N1 virus. This patient has infected with the pH1N1 virus in late pregnancy, and antiviral therapy was not implemented timely. She developed severe pneumonia and ARDS rapidly and need receive a cesarean section on the 39(th) week after pregnancy. After giving birth to a healthy baby, she received a combination of oseltamivir, sirolimus and corticosteroid, and improved in the following days. Moreover, the cytokines in serum and viral loads in BALF decreased significantly. She recovered without infectious symptoms and was discharged. Sirolimus combined with oseltamivir and corticosteroid is likely responsible for lowering the viral loads, reducing the patient's cytokine level, and further improving her clinical outcomes. It provides evidence that adjuvant treatment was beneficial to patients with severe pneumonia induced by the pH1N1 virus.