Patient H.T. (34 years old, Tan Binh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) has many underlying diseases and is often hospitalized at Gia Dinh People's Hospital. Recently, the patient developed symptoms of coughing up blood. Through examination at the Respiratory Department, doctors discovered that the patient had lung fungus and had to have surgery to remove the fungal mass.
Another case is Mr. N.N.T. (55 years old, Ho Chi Minh City), who has a history of diabetes but does not control well, and has also had pulmonary tuberculosis. When symptoms of fever and coughing up blood appeared, he was found to have fungus developing on the background of old lung damage. The patient is currently being treated with antifungal drugs, his health is gradually stabilizing and continues to be monitored and re-examined periodically.
According to Dr. Le Thi Thu Huong - Head of Respiratory Department, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, lung fungus is common in people with reduced resistance or lungs that have been damaged before.
High-risk groups include people who have had pulmonary tuberculosis or have pathologies that alter lung structure; severe patients treated for a long time in the intensive care unit, using antibiotics for a long time; people with impaired immunity, cancer, blood diseases, organ transplants or using immunosuppressants.
Lung fungus has many diseases and is caused by many types of fungi, so the symptoms are not the same. The disease is also easily mistaken for bacterial lung infection, making diagnosis difficult.
We must combine the patient's constitution, tests, imaging, epidemiological factors and microbiological tests to identify the agent," said Dr. Huong.
In the high-risk group, when fever, cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath or abnormal respiratory symptoms appear, patients need to go to the doctor for evaluation. If lung fungus is missed, especially invasive or acute, the disease can progress severely.
According to doctors, lung fungus is not common in the entire community but mainly occurs in groups at risk. To prevent the disease, people with underlying diseases need to control the disease well, especially lung disease and diabetes, and at the same time have regular check-ups.
People who have had pulmonary tuberculosis or have old lung damage are even more needed to monitor respiratory health. If the underlying disease is not controlled and resistance continues to decline, the fungus can still grow back, even after the patient has been treated or operated on.
