Reviews of infectious diseases
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis in children.
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) is effective in both the treatment and the prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis. After initial evaluation in an animal model, TMP-SMZ was shown to be as clinically effective as pentamidine isethionate for the treatment of pneumonitis in children with cancer and to have minimal adverse effects. ⋯ Administered prophylactically, TMP-SMZ (5.0 mg of TMP and 25 mg of SMZ per kg of body weight per day) prevented P. carinii infection in high-risk immunocompromised patients. Studies of the unstructured delivery of prophylactic TMP-SMZ have demonstrated the regimen to be feasible and effective, with a favorable benefit-risk ratio for a large number of children with cancer.