Active clinical trials for "Pneumonia, Pneumocystis"

To compare the use of pentamidine aerosol (inhaled mist) with the standard intravenous method of administration in patients with AIDS related Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), to measure the amount of pentamidine aerosol that actually reaches the lung, and to see if close clinical observation is safer and as effective as drug therapy in the prevention of PCP recurrences. To compare the efficiency of 2 nebulizers - the Respirgard II nebulizer and the Cadema Aerotech II nebulizer. Aerosolized pentamidine was as effective as intravenous pentamidine in treating PCP in animals. More of the pentamidine reached the lungs and less was found in the liver and kidney after pentamidine was given by aerosol than after an intravenous injection. This suggests that the toxicity of pentamidine may be less if given by aerosol than if given by the intravenous route.

To study the safety and effectiveness of trimetrexate (TMTX) plus leucovorin calcium rescue (LCV) in the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients who have AIDS, patients who are HIV positive, or those for whom laboratory confirmation of HIV infection has not yet been established if they are at high risk for HIV infection, and who have not responded to standard treatments or who have demonstrated severe or life-threatening intolerance to both conventional therapies for PCP. The drugs trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole (TMP / SMX) and pentamidine, usually used to treat PCP in AIDS patients, have proven ineffective in many patients and have had to be discontinued in many other patients because of severe side effects. TMTX was chosen for this trial because it was found to be very active against the PCP organism in laboratory tests and, in a preliminary trial in combination with LCV, there was a high response rate without severe toxicity.

To evaluate and compare 3 anti-pneumocystis regimens plus zidovudine (AZT) in persons with HIV infection and T4 cell count less than 200 cells/mm3. All persons completing at least 8 weeks of therapy on 081 will be offered the opportunity to participate in the nested study (ACTG 981) of systemic antifungal therapy (fluconazole) versus local therapy (Clotrimazole) for the prevention of serious fungal disease. Persons with HIV disease who are receiving AZT are at risk for PCP, toxoplasmosis, bacterial pneumonia, and other serious infections. It is therefore important to find drugs that can be given along with AZT to control these infections. Aerosolized pentamidine (PEN) has been shown to be useful in preventing PCP and is expected to lower the 2-year risk of PCP. Both sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) and dapsone probably also provide effective preventive treatment against PCP, and both may be useful in preventing toxoplasmosis and extrapulmonary pneumocystosis.

To evaluate and compare 3 anti-pneumocystis regimens plus zidovudine (AZT) in persons with advanced HIV disease and T4 cell count < 200 cells/mm3. To establish the range of pentamidine (PEN) deposition in AIDS patients participating in ACTG 021 and ACTG 081. To identify factors (breathing pattern, pulmonary function) that may be important in affecting the actual dose delivered to a given patient. The specific system that is used to deliver PEN to the lungs may determine whether a therapeutically effective dose is attained in the lungs. Therefore, this study will establish the amount of PEN that is deposited in the lungs of patients enrolled in protocols ACTG 021 and ACTG 081, who are being treated with PEN administered from the Marquest Respirgard II nebulizer.

To compare the efficacy and safety of dapsone versus atovaquone in preventing or delaying the onset of histologically proven or probable Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV-infected patients with CD4 counts <= 200 cells/mm3 or <= 15 percent of the total lymphocyte count who are intolerant to trimethoprim and/or sulfonamides. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), which is effective for secondary PCP prophylaxis, is associated with allergic manifestations and side effects that limit its use. Patients who are intolerant of TMP/SMX require an effective alternative. Dapsone and atovaquone have both shown promise as PCP prophylactic agents.

This study compares 2 different treatments administered to try to prevent serious bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) in HIV-positive children. A combination of drugs (azithromycin plus atovaquone) will be compared to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) alone. This study also evaluates the long-term safety and tolerance of these different drugs. SMX/TMP is a commonly prescribed drug for the prevention of bacterial infections. However, the combination of azithromycin and atovaquone may be safer and more effective than SMX/TMP. This study compares the 2 treatments.

This is a randomized double-blinded controlled study comparing aerosolized pentamidine with trimethoprim plus sulfamethoxazole (TMP / PurposeX). The latter drug will be administered intravenously for at least 5 days, then changed to oral administration if warranted by the patient's clinical condition.

To provide trimetrexate glucuronate to immunosuppressed patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) for whom this investigational compound could provide significant medical benefit.

To compare parenteral versus inhaled pentamidine in patients with documented Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) with AIDS.

To determine whether gradual initiation of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) reduces the incidence of treatment-limiting adverse reactions compared to the routine initiation of the drugs for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients. Although a number of clinical trials have demonstrated the superiority of SMX/TMP for PCP prophylaxis, the incidence of adverse reactions to this medication is high. In a pilot study in which patients were initiated with SMX/TMP prophylaxis by gradually increasing the dose over 2 weeks, no significant adverse reactions have occurred.