Acute respiratory failure due to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii is the most frequent indication for admission of AIDS patients to intensive care units. In this article, an approach to the diagnosis and management of this condition will be presented along with prognostic information. Differential diagnosis will be discussed, and characteristic responses to current standard and alternative chemotherapeutic agents and modes of ventilatory support will be reviewed.