title: Empirically treated Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in London, 1983-1989.
abstract: For 227 episodes of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) treated at St Mary's between 1983 and 1989, factors predictive of fatal outcome were age, haemoglobin levels, peripheral lymphocyte count and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Case fatality for the 47 empirically-treated episodes was significantly higher compared with the 180 cytologically proven episodes (55% vs 18%, chi 2 = 25.7, P less than 0.0001). Case fatality for episodes which could not be bronchoscoped was significantly higher compared with bronchoscopy negative cases (66% vs 25%, chi 2 = 4.5, P less than 0.05). Predictive factors for fatal outcome differed significantly for cases which could not be bronchoscoped and cytologically proven cases: haemoglobin level (10.7 g/dl vs 12.0 g/dl, P less than 0.001), lymphocyte count (0.64 x 10(9)/l vs 0.87 x 10(9)/l, P = 0.05) and oxygen gradient (77.7 mmHg vs 58.9 mmHg, P less than 0.02). Such differences were not observed between bronchoscopy negative and cytologically proven cases. Case fatality decreased significantly over time (b = -0.39, SE = 0.14, P less than 0.05). Total and non-fatal first time episodes displayed an inverse relationship between oxygen gradient and time (r = -0.22, P less than 0.006 and r = -0.24, P less than 0.01, respectively). Mean oxygen gradient of fatal episodes for sequential years increased significantly from 73 mmHg in 1983 to 102 mmHg in 1989 (r = 0.92, P less than 0.01). This suggests that medical intervention as well as presentation with less severe disease both contributed to improved case fatality over time.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Public Health, St Mary's Hospital and Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Helbert
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pinching
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies