Antifungal Medications Flashcards
4 Types of Mold
Aspergillus, mucor
Aspergillus flavus = MC
Aspergillus niger
Rhizopus
4 Types of Fungi
Blastomyces
Paracoccidiodomycoses
Coccidiodomycoses
Histoplasma
5 Types of Yeast
Candida sp. Candidaalbicans Candidaglabrata Candidalusitania Candidakrusei
Benefits of Fungi
Source for many medications
Penicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (ìstatinsî)
Food
Edible mushrooms
Insect control
Process of competitive exclusion to actively compete
for nutrients
Biotechnology
Yeast species used as machinery to produce peptide
drugs (ex. Erwinia asparaginase)
Types of Fungal Infections
Invasive aspergillosis Esophageal candidiasis Invasive candidiasis Vulvovaginal candidiasis Candidemia Candiduria Cryptococcosis Blastomycosis Histoplasmosis
Candida causes invasive infections where?
Body tissues (ex. liver, spleen, lungs, brain )
Blood (ex, candidemia)
Genitourinary tract (ex. vulvovaginal candiasis)
Diagnosis of Fungal Infections
Symptoms
Inflammatory response (↑WBC, topical redness, etc)
Fever
Risk factors Tissue/blood culture Radiography Serological testing For antibodies against some fungi (eg, Coccidiomycosis) Galactomannan assay (Aspergillus) Glucan (Candida)
Levels of Fungal Infection Treatment
Prophylaxis
Empiric
Targeted
Prophylaxis
Preventive treatment of a specific pathogen in an at risk patient
Empiric
Treatment of a possible or probable fungal infection
Based on presence of symptoms consistent with a fungal infection but no positive culture
Targeted
Definitive positive culture data exists allowing for targeted treatment
Risk of Fungal Infections
Increased in immunosuppressed patients
Metabolic stress from invasive surgery
Myelosuppression from chemotherapy
Immunosuppression after solid organ or stem cell
transplant
Immunosuppressive diseases (eg, HIV)
Alterations in normal flora due to use of broad
Challenges of Fungal Infections
Difficult to diagnose
Potential toxicity of available agents
Need for targeted therapy
Development of resistance to available agents
Limited formulations (oral vs IV vs topical) for
some agents
Aggressiveness of pathogen
Classes of Antifungals
Azoles Polyenes Flucytosine Echinocandins Terbinafine Griseofulvin
4 Types of Azoles
Fluconazole
Itraconazole
Voriconazole
Posaconazole
2 Types of Polyenes
Nystatin
Amphotericins
3 Types of Echinocandins
Caspofungin
Micafungin
Anidulafungin
Fungistatic vs. Fungicidal
Fungistatic drugs inhibit growth
Immune system can then complete eradication of
pathogenic fungi
Fungicidal drugs kill fungal pathogens
Dependent on mechanism of drug and ability to
reach adequate concentration at the site of action
Preferred (but not necessary) for treatment in
immunocompromised patients
Amphotericin
Polyene macrolide antifungal **Only available in an IV formulation Can be made into an oral mouth rinse Very long half-life (15 days) Remains in the body tissues for weeks after course of therapy is discontinued No dose adjustment in renal or hepatic impairment Toxicity may limit use or alter schedule of dosing
Mechanism of Amphotericin
Binds to and disrupts ergosterol in fungal cell membrane Disrupts membraneís integrity leading to creation of pores in cell membrane Alters permeability of membrane Leads to leakage of intracellular components out of the cell Fungal cell death ensues
Activity of Amphotericin
Broad spectrum Yeast Candidaalbicans Cryptococcus neoformans Histoplasma capsulatum Blastomyces dermatitidis Coccidioides immitis Aspergillus Mucor (Rhizopus)
Resistant Organisms
Candidalusitaniae
Pseudallescheriaboydii
Candidakrusei(sometimes)