[Pneumocystis carinii infections in a pediatric intensive care unit: a retrospective study 1980-2002].
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.
Richard
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Service de réanimation pédiatrique polyvalente, hôpital Edouard-Herriot, Lyon, France. sylvie.platon@chu-lyon.fr
Stamm
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D
Floret
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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