Chapter 42, Problem 1O

Summary Introduction

To identify:

Various antifungal drugs.

Concept introduction:

Fungi is a eukaryotic organism. They are single celled or multicellular, and some have a complex structure. Pathogenic fungi are those that cause disease in human, plants, and animals. The study of disease causing fungi is called as mycology. The drugs that are used to treat such diseases are called antifungal drugs.

Explanation of Solution

The major group of antifungal drugs (classification based on their chemical structure) are given below:

Polyene drugs: Nystatin besides Amphotericin B. Both these drugs possess wide spectrum activity against the many fungal groups.

Imidazole drugs: Ketoconazole is an example of this group.

Triazoles drugs: Voriconazole, Itraconazole, and fluconazole are the examples of this group.

Echinocandins: Caspofungin and micafungin are its examples.

Examples of other antifungal or miscellaneous antifungal drugs are griseofulvin, terbinafine and flucytosine.

The brand name of nystatin lozenge is mycostatin. This medication is effective in the treatment of fungal infections present in various organs of the body. Nystatin is taken by mouth for the treatment of yeast infections. Amphotericin B is an antifungal drug that is used in the treatment of Leishmaniasis and fungal diseases. Once the intravenous (IV) infusion of the amphotericin B is started, vital signs are monitored by the nurse for every fifteen minutes. It may result in adverse reactions.

Conclusion

Antifungal drugs are used in the treatment of subcutaneous, systemic as well as superficial infections. These drugs can be administered topically or systemically.