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Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Pneumocystosis; PCP; Pneumocystis jiroveci

Prevention:

Preventive therapy is recommended for AIDS patients, for individuals on chronic high dose corticosteroids, as well as individuals with previous episodes of PCP. AIDS patients with CD4 counts below 200 should receive prophylactic (preventive) therapy.

While the most effective preventive drug is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, other options include dapsone, atovaquone, and aerosolized pentamidine.

• Review Date: 2/13/2006
• Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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