Specialized clinical diagnosis and management of severe respiratory infections, complicated pneumonia, drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB), non-tuberculous mycobacteria, invasive fungal pulmonary diseases, and bronchiectasis at KIMS Super Speciality Hospital, Electronic City, Bangalore.
High-precision diagnostics, cutting-edge medical technologies, and evidence-based treatment pathways tailored for individual patient outcomes.
Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract remain one of the leading causes of acute morbidity, chronic lung destruction, and hospitalizations in India. From acute community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired ventilator infections to chronic granulomatous diseases like pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal mycoses, timely microbiological diagnosis and precise antimicrobial therapy are paramount to prevent irreversible lung tissue destruction and respiratory failure.
The Pulmonary Infections Service specializes in diagnosing and managing complex, refractory respiratory pathogens. Utilizing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) multiplex PCR panels, targeted fungal serology, and molecular drug susceptibility testing, the service delivers evidence-based therapy for MDR/XDR tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), invasive mycoses, and bronchiectasis.
Recognizing clinical signs and diagnostic triggers that indicate the need for specialized pulmonary review.
Persistent high fever (> 101°F / 38.3°C) accompanied by shaking chills (rigors), drenching sweats, and thick yellow, rust-colored, or foul-smelling sputum.
Chronic persistent cough lasting over two weeks accompanied by evening low-grade fevers, drenching night sweats, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss—classic indicators of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Streaks of blood or gross expectoration of blood in sputum, frequently signaling cavitary tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, or an aspergilloma (fungal ball).
Stabbing pain on one side of the chest that worsens dramatically during deep inspiration or coughing, indicating parapneumonic pleural inflammation or developing empyema.
Rapid onset of breathlessness, tachypnea (> 25 breaths/min), and cyanosis requiring immediate emergency hospital evaluation.
Respiratory symptoms worsening despite 5 to 7 days of standard oral antibiotics prescribed in primary care, indicating resistant pathogens, atypical organisms, or fungal etiology.
Advanced medical and surgical equipment providing high-yield diagnostic precision and life-saving therapeutic interventions.
Flexible bronchoscopy instills sterile saline into the infected lung segment and aspirates cellular fluid for rapid molecular multiplex PCR (BioFire FilmArray), detecting 33 bacterial, viral, and resistance genes within hours.
Evaluation and management of complex rifampicin- and isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis using rapid molecular GeneXpert MTB/RIF, Line Probe Assays (LPA), and customized all-oral BPaLM/BPaL regimens (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, Moxifloxacin).
Diagnosis and targeted management of invasive aspergillosis, chronic pulmonary aspergilloma (fungal ball), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), and mucormycosis using serum Galactomannan, fungal cultures, and therapeutic drug monitoring.
Management of slow-growing environmental mycobacteria (Mycobacterium avium complex - MAC, M. abscessus, M. kansasii) that colonize damaged bronchiectatic airways, utilizing guideline-directed multi-drug regimens over 12-18 months.
Dedicated management for abnormally dilated bronchi prone to chronic pseudomonas infections: oscillating positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) devices, hypertonic saline nebulization, and long-term inhaled colistin or tobramycin suppression.
Evidence-based adult immunization against pneumococcal pneumonia (Pneumococcal Conjugate PCV20 / PCV15 followed by PPSV23) and annual quadrivalent influenza vaccination for all chronic lung disease patients.
How we guide every patient from initial assessment to definitive treatment and long-term functional recovery.
Immediate clinical assessment using CURB-65 / PSI scores, pulse oximetry, arterial blood gas, and baseline inflammatory markers (CRP, procalcitonin).
High-yield sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage sampling for GeneXpert, multiplex respiratory PCR panels, bacterial/fungal cultures, and blood cultures.
Tailored intravenous or oral antimicrobial therapy with close therapeutic drug monitoring, adjusting therapy once culture sensitivities arrive.
Follow-up chest imaging confirming radiological clearing, evaluation of residual structural damage (cavitation/bronchiectasis), and adult pneumococcal vaccination.
Clear, clinically accurate answers to common patient questions regarding this pulmonary specialty.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the larger bronchial tubes that carry air into the lungs, usually caused by viruses and resolving on its own without permanent damage. Pneumonia is a serious infection that reaches deep into the microscopic air sacs (alveoli), filling them with inflammatory pus and fluid, causing oxygen drops and requiring prompt targeted antibiotic therapy.
MDR-TB is diagnosed rapidly within 2 hours using molecular GeneXpert MTB/RIF technology that detects both Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and genetic mutations conferring resistance to Rifampicin. Modern treatment avoids painful daily injections and utilizes potent all-oral regimens containing Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin over 6 to 9 months under close clinical supervision.
Bronchiectasis is a condition where the airways become abnormally and permanently widened, flabby, and scarred—often as an aftermath of childhood infections or past tuberculosis. These widened airways cannot clear mucus normally, creating stagnant pools where bacteria (like Pseudomonas) multiply, causing chronic daily cough and recurrent chest infections.
Adult pneumococcal vaccines are strongly recommended for all adults aged 65 and older, as well as anyone aged 18 to 64 with chronic medical conditions—including asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, tobacco smokers, and immunosuppressed transplant recipients.
An aspergilloma is a tangled ball of fungal hyphae (Aspergillus mold), cellular debris, and mucus that grows inside an old, pre-existing cavity in the lung (most commonly left behind by healed tuberculosis). If it causes recurrent coughing of blood (hemoptysis), treatment options include oral antifungals, bronchial artery embolization to stop bleeding, or surgical excision.
Consultation Specialty: Pulmonary Infections & Tuberculosis
