Loading...
Daily fluconazole effectively prevents the development of oral candidiasis and invasive fungal infections, such as cryptococcosis, in patients with AIDS. Such therapy adds to the cost of care, however. A recent study suggests that less frequent administration may be effective in many such patients.
Of 636 HIV-positive patients with a median CD4 count of approximately 40 cells/mm3, 318 were randomized to receive 200 mg oral fluconazole per day and 318 to receive 400 mg once weekly. Serious fungal infections occurring over a mean of about 330 days were only slightly increased in weekly fluconazole recipients compared with daily recipients: 4.8% vs. 3.9% for candidal esophagitis and 2.6% vs. 1.6% for cryptococcal diseases. Oral candidiasis also…