Prevention and treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

Abstract

Several drugs are now available for the treatment and prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. These include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine isethionate as first-line drugs and dapsone-trimethoprim, trimetrexate, piritrexim, fansidar, difluoromethylornithine, and clindamycin plus primaquine as drugs in later stages of clinical development. A hydroxynaphthoquinone, called 566C80, offers promise in preclinical studies. The use of corticosteroids in the supportive management of P. carinii pneumonitis is undergoing clinical study.