Aspergillus pneumonia: symptoms, diagnosis and care

People regularly inhale mould spores without becoming ill. Disease is more concerning when immune defences are reduced or the lungs have significant underlying damage; Aspergillus can also cause allergic or chronic lung problems that are not the same as acute pneumonia.

Aspergillus pneumonia may present with cough, fever, breathlessness, chest discomfort, fatigue or coughing up phlegm. These symptoms also occur with other lung infections, so symptoms alone cannot identify the organism.

Assessment may include oxygen measurement, chest imaging, blood tests and examination of sputum or another respiratory sample. A positive test must be interpreted in context because detecting Aspergillus in the airways does not always establish invasive infection.

Treatment depends on the form of disease, severity, immune status and test results. Clinicians may prescribe an antifungal medicine and review other medicines carefully because interactions and liver effects can influence the choice and monitoring plan.

Take prescribed treatment exactly as directed and report vomiting, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, a new rash or worsening symptoms. Rest, drink enough fluid unless you have a fluid restriction, and avoid smoke or vaping while the lungs recover.

Seek emergency care for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, confusion, collapse, severe chest pain or coughing up a large amount of blood. These signs require rapid assessment whatever the suspected organism.

Contact a clinician promptly for worsening breathlessness, persistent fever, blood-streaked sputum, reduced urine, inability to keep medicines down, or symptoms developing during cancer treatment, after a transplant, or while taking immune-suppressing medicines.

Ask which form of Aspergillus disease is suspected, what the scan and sample results show, how medicine interactions will be checked, which side effects need a call, and how response to treatment will be monitored.