Abstract:
Co-trimoxazole (fixed-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to prevent
opportunistic infections in patients with HIV infection. Primary
prophylaxis with co-trimoxazole has been shown to decrease
hospitalisation, morbidity and mortality among people living with
HIV, primarily by decreasing rates of malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea,
Pneumocystis pneumonia, toxoplasmosis and severe bacterial
infections.Co-trimoxazole is inexpensive and widely available. In
standard adult treatment guidelines and essential medicine lists in
South Africa (SA), the current recommendation is that co-trimoxazole
should be provided for HIV-infected patients with a CD4+ count
˂200 cells/µL, HIV/tuberculosis (TB) co-infection and/or advanced
HIV disease (World Health Organization (WHO) stage 3 or 4).
