[Ultrasonic nebulised pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia].
Our retrospective study for ultrasonic nebulised pentamidine in 13 patients shows that 7 of 8 patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), proven by biopsy examination, were cured (recovery rate, 88%). Two of these 8 patients were mainly treated by nebulised pentamidine and the other 5 patients were administered parenteral pentamidine before the nebulised pentamidine therapy and the final 1 patient died on day 9 without clinical improvement with nebulised pentamidine as well as conventional therapy (trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, parenteral pentamidine). No relapse occurred in the 7 cured patients. The inhalation increased the cough in 4 of 13 cases and caused vomiting in 1 patient. Two patients discontinued the nebulisation because of the side-effect. No extra-pulmonary side-effects of nebulised pentamidine were seen. These results show that an efficacy of nebulised pentamidine is at least equal to conventional therapy with fewer side-effects and that only patients with mild PCP without severe hypoxaemia are eligible for the inhalation therapy.
Tanabe
K
K
Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University.
Goto
H
H
Shimada
K
K
D000336:Aerosols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000336:Aerosols; D010419:Pentamidine