trimethoprim--sulfamethoxazole-drug-combination and Anemia--Refractory--with-Excess-of-Blasts

Topics: Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts; Anti-Infective Agents; Child; Desensitization, Immunologic; Drug Hypersensitivity; Graft Rejection; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Male; Transplantation, Homologous; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

To characterize clinical, diagnostic and course features of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii (PC) in hematologic inpatients.. 27 patients with blood diseases were studied. 22 of them had acute respiratory insufficiency and 5 had unclear lung affection. The data from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung biopsy, serum tests for IgG, IgM anti-PC-antibodies were used for diagnosis of PC-pneumonia.. PC-pneumonia was diagnosed in 8 of 27 patients. Clinical manifestations characteristic for PC-pneumonia were not found. In 5 patients the diagnosis was made on the evidence provided by BAL. Lymphocyte count in BAL was elevated to 27.7 +/- 8.7%. Open biopsy of the lung and transbronchial biopsy diagnosed PC-pneumonia in 2 and 1 patients, respectively. Previous BAL examinations failed to detect PC-pneumonia in 2 of them. In all the patients PC-pneumonia was associated with another infection (bacterial, cytomegaloviral). Histologically, the picture of the disease was determined by the severity of the lung affection or its complications. 5 of 8 patients failed treatment with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and died. Marked respiratory insufficiency was registered at PC-pneumonia diagnosis in all the lethal cases.. Clinical and x-ray pictures of PC-pneumonia in hemoblastosis patients are not specific. All such patients with symptoms of lung infection resistant to antibacterial and antifungal therapy should be examined for PC-pneumonia.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anemia, Aplastic; Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts; Anti-Infective Agents; Biopsy; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Female; Hematologic Diseases; Humans; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Leukemia, Myeloid; Lung; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Radiography, Thoracic; Respiratory Insufficiency; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

During 1991-94 we treated 51 patients with acute myeloid leukaemias and 3 patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome of refractory anaemia with excess of blasts in transformation. The patients received trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) 1,920 mg daily as a prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii infections and selective decontamination of gastrointestinal tract. The majority of patients received TMP-SMX in their first course of chemotherapy with daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside. Only one of the 18 patients without TMP-SMX prophylaxis during the first course of chemotherapy developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. That pneumonia was successfully treated by intravenous administration of TMP-SMX 1920 mg four times a day. No other Pneumocystis carinii infection was encountered in all other patients during their clinical follow up or in autopsy material of expired patients. TMP-SMX prophylaxis had to be interrupted in 11 patients due to their suspicious allergic skin reactions, however, TMP-SMX was readministered in all without any skin changes attributable to TMP-SMX during next cycles of chemotherapy. TMP-SMX in a given daily dose of 1,920 mg seems to be a successful prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii infections in patients with malignant diseases of hematopoiesis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Leukemia, Myeloid; Male; Opportunistic Infections; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination