How hard is it to diagnose pneumocystis pneumonia in us?

Not very: It occurs almost entirely in immune suppressed individuals. It is generally an interstitial pneumonia which is slowly progressive, presenting as increasing shortness of breath over a period of weeks. Diagnostic stains on coughed sputum often reveal the organism, or therapeutic intervention because it is expected achieves satisfactory response, will allow a presumptive diagnosis.

Not hard: Pneumocystis can be readily diagnosed via a number of lab techniques on a sputum specimen. This is includes a test called direct fluorescence antibody test when the sputum is exposed to an antibody (protein) that can stick to the pcp fungus, or by observing the fungus under the microscope via other special stains. All this requires and adequate specimen often obtained with bronchoscopy, .