Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

PCP is not contagious to those around you. The abbreviation PCP is still used to designate Pneumocystis pneumonia. Pneumocystis is a genus of unicellular fungi found in the respiratory tracts of many mammals and humans. A healthy immune system can control the fungus. However, PCP causes illness in children and in adults with a weakened immune system. Most people infected with p.carinii  don't get pneumonia because their immune systems are healthy and strong. The mode of transmission is believed to be via the inhalation of air-borne cysts.

PCP is less common than it used to be, but it's still the most common serious infection in people with advanced HIV disease in the United States. Pneumocystis jiroveci is now one of several organisms known to cause life-threatening opportunistic infections in patients with advanced HIV infection worldwide. Without treatment, over 85% of people with HIV would eventually develop PCP. Prophylaxis dramatically lowers the risk of disease in susceptible populations. PCP can also develop in patients who are taking immunosuppressant medications and in patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation.

Causes of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia

There are various factors which give rise to the disease Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia. In other patients with primary immune deficiencies including hypogammaglobulinemia and severe combined immunodeficiency.In patients on long-term immunosuppressive regimens for connective tissue disorders, vasculitides, and solid organ transplant recipients. Patients with hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies including solid tumors and lymphomas. Patients with severe malnutrition.

Symptoms of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the disease Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumoniaare as follows:

• Fever.
• Cough.
• Shortness of breath.
• Rapid breathing.

Treatment of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia

Find effective treatment methods of treating Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia :

• Treatment depends upon classification of degree of illness at the time of diagnosis.
• Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the drug of choice for PCP, and may be given orally or via the intravenous route depending on the severity of the illness.
• Pentamidine is less often used as its major limitation is the high frequency of side effects.
• Initial studies of these agents in patients with AIDS showed a high mortality rate