Low incidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV patients receiving 300 mg pentamidine aerosol every 2 weeks.

The optimal dosage of pentamidine for prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PcP) is unknown. We assessed the effects of 300 mg pentamidine inhaled every 2 weeks. Salbutamol was added for prevention of bronchoconstriction. A total of 128 consecutive HIV patients were enrolled, 21 of whom were excluded within 8 weeks; the remaining 107 patients, 66 on primary and 41 on secondary prophylaxis, were treated for 39 weeks (median; range 8-133). Two patients developed PcP. Side effects occurred in only 14 of 5082 inhalations. Three patients developed hypoglycemia after inhalations. Blood glucose levels determined in 34 patients before and after inhalation revealed a decline from 89 +/- 23 mg/dl to 79 +/- 23 mg/dl (P < 0.005). A randomized prospective trial is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of 300 mg pentamidine inhaled every 4 or 2 weeks.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes