Fansidar Warning: Another View

The last issue of AIDS Treatment News reported a case of a fatal reaction to the drug fansidar, being used for prevention of pneumocystis. Since then the physician provided us with another view on fansidar. This case is the first fatality from the reaction (toxic epidermal necrolysis) caused by fansidar when used to prevent pneumocystis; five such fatalities have been reported among persons using fansidar to prevent malaria. The risk should be weighed against the benefit; the chance of death from pneumocystis is one in ten, compared to one in several thousand from using fansidar. This danger could be greater for persons with AIDS or ARC, because of the greater prevalence of allergy to sulfa drugs; physicians are accordingly reconsidering their use of fansidar for prevention of pneumocystis.