To report a case of Nocardia asteroides pneumonia and subsequent brain abscess in an immunocompromised host.
SETTING:
Private, community, teaching hospital.
PATIENT:
A man readmitted to the hospital for a third time with a fatal brain abscess, after responding to (misdirected) therapy in previous admissions.
INTERVENTIONS:
Treatment with cefuroxime, erythromycin, trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole at different times.
RESULTS:
Patient's condition deteriorated and he died after one month of intravenous trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy.
CONCLUSIONS:
Because it is an infection of the immunocompromised host, it may be considered an AIDS-defining illness. Several other similar cases have been reported in the literature.
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