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UK survey of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) prophylaxis use in paediatric oncology patients
  1. Rebecca Proudfoot1,
  2. Rachel Cox2,
  3. Bob Phillips3,
  4. Sophie Wilne4
  1. 1 Department of Paediatric oncology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
  2. 2 Paediatric Oncology Department, Bristol Children's Hospital, Bristol, UK
  3. 3 Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York, UK
  4. 4 Paediatric Oncology Department, University Hospitals Nottingham NHS Trust, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Rebecca Proudfoot, Department of Paediatric Oncology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Rebecca.proudfoot{at}nhs.net

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2014-307515

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    Pneumocystis jirovecii, previously known as Pneumocystis cariniii , is an opportunistic parasite that causes P. jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in immunocompromised hosts. Most immunocompetent children acquire asymptomatic infection with P. jirovecii by the age of 4 years,1 while symptomatic disease occurs almost exclusively in severely immunocompromised hosts.

    Pneumocystis has been recognised as a cause of pneumonia since the 1940s when epidemics of ‘plasma cell pneumonia’ were diagnosed in malnourished and premature infants in care homes in Eastern Europe.2 In the 1960s, as immunosuppressive therapy for malignancy …

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    Footnotes

    • Correction notice This paper has been amended since it was published Online First. Pneumocystis was incorrectly spelt in the title of the paper and in the table footnote.

    • Contributors RC had the initial idea for the survey; RP conducted the survey, collected the results and wrote the letter. All authors reviewed the final manuscript.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

    • Data sharing statement Details of current practice at different CCLG centres re-PJP prophylaxis are available on request.

    • ↵i Pneumocystis species demonstrate a high degree of host species specificity. Those infecting humans have been named P. jirovecii, while P. carinii refers to those infecting rats.