title: [Pneumocystis carinii infections in a pediatric intensive care unit: a retrospective study 1980-2002].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to ascertain the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) cases admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out for the 10 PCP cases admitted to the PICU from 1980 to 2002. The variables studied were: age, sex, PRISM, underlying diseases, immunological status, clinical manifestations, radiology, response to therapy and clinical follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age of the patients varied between 5 months and 15 years and 4 months and there were 7 females and 3 males. Underlying diseases included: AIDS (3 cases), renal transplant (2 cases), West syndrome (1 case), cancer (4 cases). All presented an acute respiratory failure and 8/10 needed mechanical ventilation (mean duration: 14 days). All were treated by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 6/10 received steroids. Only one child died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCP is rare and affects mainly immunocompromised children who exhibit ARDS. Steroids treatment is now considered as an useful therapeutic adjuvant. A preventive treatment should be administered to children at risk.
authors.affiliation: Service de réanimation pédiatrique polyvalente, hôpital Edouard-Herriot, Lyon, France. sylvie.platon@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Floret
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies