Does Pneumocystis carinii Prophylaxis Still Need to Be Lifelong?

Before the advent of antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, this type of pneumonia ultimately developed in 60 to 80 percent of adult patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in North America and Western Europe. 1 Seventy percent of patients had a second episode of P. carinii pneumonia within 12 months after the first episode. 1 The implementation of prophylaxis to prevent an initial episode of pneumonia (primary prophylaxis) or a subsequent episode (secondary prophylaxis) was the first intervention that substantially increased survival and improved the quality of life for patients with HIV infection. It was subsequently recognized that . . .