Question

HH is a 68 yo M who has been admitted to the medical ward with community-acquired pneumonia for the past 3 days. His PMH is significant for COPD, HTN, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

Answer 1

Answer: weakened host immune system and other factors like his anti-hypertensive medications predisposed Mr HH to community acquired pneumonia.

Explanation:

Having a past medical history of

Chronic Obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia and diabetes, Me HH has a higher risk of developing community acquired pneumonia through the following ways...

Having a past medical history of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ascertains that he might have the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila which are the main causative organism of pneumonia and therefore will vkme down with community acquired pneumonia once the immune system is compromised.

Hypertension predisposes Mr HH to community acquired pneumonia through the use of certain anti-hypertensive medications like calcium channel blockers which tends to decrease phagocyte function and host defence.

Digoxin a cardiac glycoside decreases the clearance of pneumococci from lower respiratory tree.

Delayed emptying of the stomach with comes with diabetes can lead to aspiration this further resulting In pneumonia (community acquired pneumonia)

Diabetes and Hyperlipidemia impairs neutrophils and monocytes (macrophages) function thereby wearing the host immune response and further encouraging micro organisms that cause pneumonia to thrive.