TreatmentUpdate41: Vol. 4, No. 1 - March, 1993
Sean Hosein

Although use of Bactrim/Septra (B/S) is the preferred therapy for the prevention of PCP many people with HIV infection cannot tolerate it. An alternative therapy to prevent PCP is aerosol pentamidine (AP). Results from a number of clinical trials designed to compare the effectiveness of aerosol pentamidine with that of Bactrim/Septra have recently been released. Two studies have found that when patients use Bactrim/Septra, they are less likely to develop PCP than other patients given AP. This result was also seen in patients who had PCP before entering the study. We now report on these trials about PCP prevention (or prophylaxis). For people who have never had PCP, prevention is called primary prevention or primary prophylaxis. For people who have had a bout of PCP, prevention is called secondary prophylaxis or secondary preventlon. Details on a protocol to help people tolerate sulpha drugs will appear in a future issue of TreatmentUpdate.

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Copyright © 1993 - TreatmentUpdate. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Editor, The Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, 555 Richmond St. West, Suite 505, Box 1104, Toronto, ON, M5V 3B1 • Phone: 416-203-7122 • Toll Free: 1-800-263-1638 • Fax: 416-203-8284  http://www.catie.ca