Atovaquone for Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia
Authors: Mark Stoeckle
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1995)

Letters15 February 1995Atovaquone for Pneumocystis carinii PneumoniaMark Stoeckle, Alan Tennenberg, Michael N. Dohn, Joseph C. Gathe, and Dennis P. HaghighatMark StoeckleCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704.Search for more papers by this author, Alan TennenbergCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704.Search for more papers by this author, Michael N. DohnCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704.Search for more papers by this author, Joseph C. GatheCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704.Search for more papers by this author, and Dennis P. HaghighatCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-122-4-199502150-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The conclusion of the study by Dohn and colleagues [1] that “oral atovaquone and intravenous pentamidine have similar rates for successful treatment of mild and moderate P. carinii pneumonia” is misleading. More treatment failures were noted (29% compared with 17%) and more deaths (13% compared with 8%) occurred in patients treated with atovaquone than in those treated with pentamidine. Although the observed differences in this small study did not reach statistical significance, they are consistent with those obtained in a larger study showing the inferiority of atovaquone compared with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, which is probably therapeutically equivalent to pentamidine ...References1. Dohn MN, Weinberg WG, Torres RA, Follansbee SE, Caldwell PT, Scott JD, et al. Oral atovaquone compared with intravenous pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS. Ann Intern Med. 1994; 121:174-80. Google Scholar2. Klein NC, Duncanson FP, Lenox TH, Forszpaniak C, Sherer CB, Quentzel H, et al. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole versus pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients: results of a large prospective randomized treatment trial. AIDS. 1992; 6:301-5. Google Scholar3. Hughes W, Leoung G, Karmer F, Bozzette SA, Safrin S, Frame P, et al. Comparison of atovaquone (566C80) with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS. N Engl J Med. 1993; 328:1521-7. Google Scholar4. Masur H. Prevention and treatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 1992; 327:1853-9. Google Scholar5. Asbar N, Daneshvar H, Beall G. Densensitization to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in HIV-infected patients. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994; 93:1001-5. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Mark Stoeckle; Alan Tennenberg; Michael N. Dohn; Joseph C. Gathe; Dennis P. HaghighatAffiliations: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4984. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27519. Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0564. Park Plaza Medical Center, Houston, TX 77004. Bristol Park Medical Group, Santa Ana, CA 92704. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAtovaquonePneumocystosisANTIPROTOZOAL AND ANTIHELMINTHIC DRUGSAtovaquonePopulation pharmacokinetics of atovaquone in patients with acute malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum* 15 February 1995Volume 122, Issue 4Page: 314-315KeywordsAtovaquonePneumocystis carinii pneumoniaPneumonia ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 February 1995 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1995 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...