People who have less than 200 CD4 cells can prevent PCP by taking the same medications used for PCP treatment.Īnother way to reduce the risk of PCP is not to smoke, or to stop smoking. The best way to prevent PCP is to use strong ART. Atovaquone (Mepron) (see Fact Sheet 538) is a drug used in people with mild or moderate cases of PCP who cannot take TMP/SMX or pentamidine.īased on a small study, if standard therapy doesn't work, patients might be able to use Neutrexin (trimetrexate) combined with Leucovorin (folinic acid.).Pentamidine is also used intravenously (IV) to treat active PCP. Pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam, Pentacarinat) (see Fact Sheet 537) is a drug that is inhaled in an aerosol form to prevent PCP.
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Dapsone seems to be almost as effective as TMP/SMX against PCP. Dapsone (see Fact Sheet 533) is similar to TMP/SMX.It's a combination of two antibiotics: trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX). TMP/SMX (Bactrim or Septra, see Fact Sheet 535) is the most effective anti-PCP drug.The drugs used to treat PCP include TMP/SMX, dapsone, pentamidine, and atovaquone. In 1985 a small study showed that these drugs would also prevent PCP in people with AIDS. How Is PCP Treated?įor many years, antibiotics were used to prevent PCP in cancer patients with weakened immune systems. However, everyone with CD4 counts below 300 should discuss PCP prevention with their health care provider, before they experience any symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should see a health care provider immediately. The first signs of PCP are difficulty breathing, fever, and a dry cough. Most people who get PCP become much weaker, lose a lot of weight, and are likely to get PCP again. People with counts under 300 who have already had another opportunistic infection are also at risk. People with CD4 cell counts (see Fact Sheet 124) under 200 have the highest risk of developing PCP. Pneumocystis almost always affects the lungs, causing a form of pneumonia. However, PCP causes illness in children and in adults with a weakened immune system.
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A healthy immune system can control the fungus. It used to be called pneumocystis carinii, but scientists now call it pneumocystis jiroveci. The best way to reduce cases of PCP is testing for HIV to identify cases sooner. In fact, 30% to 40% of people with HIV develop PCP if they wait to get treatment until their CD4 cell counts are around 50. Unfortunately, PCP is still common in people who are infected with HIV for a long time before getting treatment. Although PCP is now almost entirely preventable and treatable, it still causes death in about 10% of cases.Ĭurrently, with strong antiretroviral therapy (ART, see Fact Sheet 403) available, PCP rates have dropped dramatically.
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It has been the major killer of people with HIV. Without treatment, over 85% of people with HIV would eventually develop PCP. Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP or pneumocystis) is the most common opportunistic infection in people with HIV.