A systematic review and meta-analysis: pulmonary mycosis pathogen distribution

BACKGROUND This study sought to systematically evaluate the distribution characteristics and high-risk factors of pulmonary mycosis pathogens, and provide evidence for the clinical treatment and prognosis of patients with pulmonary mycosis. METHODS The Embase, Ovid, PubMed, Medline, and Springer databases were searched to find publications on the distribution characteristics and high-risk factors of pulmonary mycosis pathogens that had been published between the establishment of the databases and April 1, 2021. The Cochrane Handbook 5.0.2 was used to evaluate the risk of bias of the articles included in this study, and Review Manager 5.3 was used to conduct a meta-analysis of the included articles. RESULTS Eleven articles were included in this study, comprising 6,415 subjects. The meta-analysis results showed that pathogen infection significantly increased the mortality of patients [MD =2.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.52, 4.68); Z=3.43; P=0.0006]. Patient age was significantly correlated with the incidence of pulmonary mycosis [MD =1.21; 95% CI: (0.78, 1.86); Z=0.84; P=0.40]. The use of antibiotics was significantly correlated to the incidence of pulmonary mycosis [MD =1.41; 95% CI: (1.15, 1.72); Z=3.30; P=0.001]. Glucocorticoid use was significantly correlated to the incidence of pulmonary mycosis [MD =1.81; 95% CI: (1.13, 2.91); Z=2.45; P=0.01]. However, gender had no obvious correlation with the incidence of pulmonary mycosis [MD =1.21; 95% CI: (0.78, 1.86); Z=0.84; P=0.40]. Further, no correlation was found between smoking history and the incidence of pulmonary mycosis [MD =0.86; 95% CI: (0.51, 1.45); Z=0.57; P=0.57]. DISCUSSION The main types of bacterial infections in patients with pulmonary mycosis were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Helicobacter pylori. In addition to the lungs, pathogens were found to be distributed in the intestines, urinary tract, and digestive tract. Additionally, patient age, antibiotic use, and glucocorticoid use increased the incidence of pulmonary mycosis. Thus, these factors should be paid attention to in the clinical treatment of patients with pulmonary mycosis.