Antifungal Agents Lecture Notes

A collection of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to antifungal agents and mycoses.

Antifungal Agents

Drugs used to treat mycoses, or infections caused by fungi.

Mycoses

Infections caused by fungi, classified as systemic or superficial.

Systemic Mycoses

Infections that affect internal organs such as lungs and brain, requiring aggressive treatment.

Superficial Mycoses

Infections that affect the scalp, skin, nails, and mucous membranes, often treated with topical antifungals.

Candidiasis

An infection caused by Candida albicans, commonly occurring in the mouth (oral candidiasis) or vagina (vaginal candidiasis).

Polyenes

A group of antifungal agents that include amphotericin B and nystatin, which bind to sterols in the fungal cell membrane.

Flucytosine

Also known as 5-fluorocytosine, an antimetabolite that interferes with DNA synthesis in fungal cells.

Imidazoles

A class of antifungal agents that includes ketoconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole, and fluconazole, which inhibit enzymes leading to fungal cell death.

Griseofulvin

An antifungal agent that disrupts fungal cell division.

Ampotericin B

An antifungal agent of choice for treating severe systemic fungal infections, associated with side effects like renal toxicity and neurotoxicity.

Candidal vaginitis

Commonly known as a yeast infection, often associated with pregnancy and diabetes.

Side Effects of Imidazoles

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and elevated liver enzymes.

Nursing Implications for Antifungal Agents

Include assessing for hypersensitivity, monitoring vital signs, and being cautious about drug interactions.