RESPIRATORY-FAILURE IN PATIENTS WITH THE ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME (AIDS)

Of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with respiratory failure due to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), nonsurvivors tended to have lowe r albumin levels and higher admission alveolar-arterial oxygen gradien ts (D[A-a]O2), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, maximum levels of p ositive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), fraction of inspired oxygen (F IO2), and minute ventilation than survivors, but none of these differe nces reached statistical significance. There was no difference in surv ival whether or not prophylaxis with antiviral or anti-pneumocystis ag ents had been employed prior to admission, or with steroid therapy onc e respiratory failure developed. While strides have been made in the d evelopment of therapies and prophylaxis against the development of opp ortunistic infection in patients infected with the human immunodeficie ncy virus (HIV), mortality remains high once respiratory failure has o ccurred.