Ontario HIV Clinics' Fact Sheet Pneumocystis CariniiPneumonia (PCP)What is PCP?
The organism that causes PCP is a very common one that takes advantage of people whose immune systems are weakened. PCP is not contagious to those around
you. PCP is the most common serious opportunistic infection associated with AIDS. PCP is the short term for Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia. PCP affects your lungs and makes breathing difficult.
What do I look for? You usually only get PCP in your lungs, although it can spread to other areas of your body. PCP may present with a dry cough, fever, tiredness, and/or shortness of breath that may
be mild at first but becomes more severe. A person with these symptoms should seek medical attention. Can PCP be prevented? A lot of progress has been made in preventing PCP. Some medications
can prevent PCP, slow its appearance or prevent it from returning. If your have already had a PCP infection or if your CD4 count is less that 250, then your risk of developing PCP is increased. You should
take a drug to prevent this kind of pneumonia. The main drugs used to prevent PCP are: Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX, Bactrim, Septra) taken by mouth Pentamidine taken by inhalation, or periodic
intravenous infusion Dapsone (Avlosulfon) taken by mouth with or without Pyrmethamine In certain cases, you can get a PCP infection even if you take your medication regularly. Some people have PCP more than
once. Prevention is recommended for life. If detected early then your doctor can usually treat PCP easily. How is PCP treated? Depending on your condition, you may need to be in the hospital, or
we can treat you at the Outpatient Clinic, or at home. Drugs that are used to treat PCP are:
- Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX, Bactrim, Septra)pills by mouth, or given by intravenous (through a vein)
- Pentamidine by intravenous (given through a vein)
- Dapsone (Avlosulfon) and Trimethoprim pills by mouth
- Clindamycin and Primaquine pills by mouth
- Atovaquone (Mepron) pills by mouth
- Prednisone (for severe cases of PCP)
References Ontario HIV Clinics' Network, May 1996 |
