title: Complications of corticosteroid therapy in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
abstract: We retrospectively studied the acute toxicity of corticosteroid therapy in 23 episodes of PCP occurring in the setting of AIDS and determined the incidence of HIV-related complications following these and 16 other contemporaneous episodes of AIDS-related PCP treated with antimicrobials alone. The mean duration of corticosteroid therapy was 5.4 days and the mean total dose was 660 mg of methylprednisolone. Cryptococcus neoformans and Listeria monocytogenes infection each occurred once within one month of therapy in corticosteroid-treated patients; no other noteworthy acute corticosteroid toxicity was noted. Since all patients with imminently lethal PCP received corticosteroids, we could not assess the effect of these agents on acute mortality. After six months the rates of new AIDS-related diagnoses and of post-hospitalization mortality were equivalent in the two groups. We also have critically reviewed the available literature regarding this use of corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Sepulveda VA Medical Center, CA 91343.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lambertus
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Mathisen
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones