How teleInfectious Disease Coverage Helped Identify a Life-Changing Diagnosis

The Case

At a 20-bed community hospital, a 40-year-old woman was admitted with shortness of breath after multiple recent hospital admissions for pneumonia.

When Access TeleCare’s infectious disease service was consulted, the patient was on oxygen and breathing about 40 times per minute, far above the normal respiratory rate. She also had additional clinical findings that raised concern for something more serious than a routine pneumonia case.

After reviewing the patient’s chart, lab work, imaging, and clinical presentation, Dr. Jade Le, chief of infectious disease at Access TeleCare, recognized a pattern that pointed to pneumocystis pneumonia, a serious opportunistic infection often associated with advanced HIV.

The Care Plan

Dr. Le immediately recommended HIV testing and started treatment for pneumocystis pneumonia. The HIV test later came back positive.

For the patient, the diagnosis was life changing. It also created a clear path forward.

The Result

The Access TeleCare consult helped the hospital team connect a set of clinical clues that had previously gone unrecognized across multiple hospital admissions. The patient received the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment was started.

The case illustrates the value of infectious disease expertise in community hospitals, especially when patients present with complex or unusual conditions for which the cause is not immediately identifiable.

“Cases like this show why infectious disease expertise matters. It is about putting the clues together: the chart, the lab results, the imaging, the clinical exam, and the patient’s history. In this case, everything pointed to pneumocystis pneumonia because of advanced HIV. Once we recognized that, we could start the right treatment, recommend the right level of care, and help the on-site clinical team move quickly.”

Dr. Jade Le
Chief of Infectious Disease, Access TeleCare