title: High pentamidine levels associated with hypoglycemia and azotemia in a patient with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
abstract: We report on a patient who presented with a Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Intravenous pentamidine (4 mg/kg/day) was given for 14 days without the occurrence of adverse effects. During this treatment, the mean (+/- SD) serum pentamidine trough concentration was 94 +/- 16 ng/ml. Three days later, the patient was admitted because of fever, and pentamidine (4 mg/kg/day) was again started. Fasting hypoglycemia and azotemia then occurred; the mean serum trough pentamidine level was 190 +/- 10 ng/ml during this week of treatment. We conclude that the occurrence of hypoglycemia and azotemia during pentamidine therapy may not be idiosyncrasic, but seemed associated in our patient with high levels of serum pentamidine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Comtois
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pouliot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gervais
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vinet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemieux
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014511:Uremia / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D010419:Pentamidine