[Prognostic factors of mortality during the episode of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii in patients with HIV infection].
BACKGROUND
Despite a steady decrease in its incidence, pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) are still diagnosed, and they occur frequently in patients unaware of being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Since it is a disease with a high mortality risk, its early diagnosis and therapy would allow these patients to benefit from the advantages afforded Pneumocystis carinii, neumonía, infecciones oportunistas relacionadas con el sida, pronóstico.by anti-retroviral therapy.


METHODS
Retrospective study, in which all adult HIV infected patients with microbiologically demonstrated PCP diagnosed at two tertiary-level hospitals in our country between 1985 and 1996 were included. The clinical records of patients were used as information source. The relative risks (RR) of death were estimated by the multivariant logistic regression.


RESULTS
PCP was the first AIDS indicating disease in approximately 70 % of cases. Thirteen percent of patients died during the episode. Patients aged over 45 years had a death RR during the episode of 3.15 (95 % CI from 0.8 to 12.2); patients previously diagnosed of AIDS had a death RR of 3.4 (95 % CI from 1.3 to 9), and those with an alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (pA-aO2) > 50 mmHg, a death RR of 3 (95% CI from 1.1 to 8).


CONCLUSIONS
Factors independently related to survival to the PCP episode are age below 45 years, not to have had another AIDS indicating disease, and to have a pA-aO2 below 50 mmHg at diagnosis.
Fernández Cruz
A
A
Unidad VIH. Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. anafcruz@traductor.jazztel.es
Pulido Ortega
F
F
Peña Sánchez De Rivera
J M
JM
Sanz García
M
M
Lorenzo Hernández
A
A
González García
J
J
Rubio García
R
R
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies