Questions regarding the effectiveness of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole) prophylaxis in African children.

Figure 1. Population structure of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) among African children as a function of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. The total number of children is represented as A + B; the total number of children with PCP is represented as a + b. The ideal measure of risk, by cotrimoxazole use, of developing PCP is represented as (a/A)/(b/B). The actual measure of risk of developing PCP used in Madhi et al. [1] is represented as (a/c)/(b/d). Shaded boxes represent population proportions that cannot be estimated given data available to the researchers. CTM, cotrimoxazole; PCP, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. dovudine for HIV-infected patients: the INCAS trial. Italy, The Netherlands, Canada and Australia Study. JAMA 1998; 279:930–7.