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Evidence‐based approaches

Rationale

Indications

More commonly in the haemato‐oncology setting:
  • pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii
  • prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia for severely immunocompromised patients.
Other:
  • prevention of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients infected by HIV who have experienced a previous episode of PCP (EMC [38], Joint Formulary Committee [62]).
  • cutaneous leishmaniasis
  • early phase African sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.

Contraindications

  • Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or undergoing fertility treatment should not be administered pentamidine isetionate. Although there is no evidence of the safety of pentamidine isetionate use in human pregnancy, one miscarriage within the first trimester of pregnancy has been reported following aerosolized prophylactic administration (EMC [38]).
  • Caution should be taken for patients with hypotension or hepatic impairment, and dose reductions are indicated for patients with renal impairment (Joint Formulary Committee [62]).
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