Successful medical therapy of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in a patient with HIV infection.

A 34-year-old HIV-infected man was successfully treated with antimicrobial therapy alone for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia and has survived longer than six months. In the current literature, only two of seven HIV-infected patients so treated have survived as long as six months. Based on our experience and the available literature, it seems reasonable to treat HIV-infected patients with R equi pneumonia who do not require surgical intervention with prolonged intravenous therapy followed by long-term oral therapy with at least two effective antibiotics. The optimal choice and duration of antibiotic therapy need to be determined.