PROGNOSTIC FACTORS OF EARLY FATAL OUTCOME AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONIA AND ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

Fifty-five episodes of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS pa tients were evaluated to assess clinical and laboratory risk factors p redicting the probability of surviving the acute episode of PCP and th e long-term survival after PCP. Age > 45 yrs, PaO2 < 50 mmHg, AaPO2 > 50 mmHg, and LDH > 800 IU/L correlated strongly with early mortality; patients who needed mechanical ventilation had a significantly lower P aO2 and serum albumin, and higher AaPO2 and LDH compared to the patien ts who did not. Neither age nor PaO2, AaPO2, LDH, albumin, days from o nset, time for recovery, CD4+ cell count correlated with long-term sur vival of AIDS patients with PCP. Informations obtained at initial pres entation of PCP may predict early outcome and influence therapeutic ap proach, improving chances for survival.