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Timothy W. Odell, MD; Jon A. Green, MD, PhD
Veterans Administration Medical Center Martinez, Calif

JAMA. 1990;263(12):1635.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Zidovudine was shown to enhance survival and decrease the frequency of opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome—related complex in the short-term 24-week phase II study published in 1987.¹ This benefit was obtained in the absence of chemoprophylaxis for opportunistic infections. During the subsequent uncontrolled continuation study,² all subjects received zidovudine. Chemoprophylaxis for the prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was left up to the discretion of each investigator. Fischl et al concluded that long-term zidovudine therapy continued to enhance survival and decrease the frequency of opportunistic infections. Some or all of the apparent benefit of zidovudine, however, may be due to prophylaxis for PCP. The number of patients who received PCP prophylaxis was not specified and comparisons were made against historical controls. Since the phase II trial in 1987, there has not been a single study, to our . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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