Agent fungal

The vegetative fungal form is often as sensitive as vegetative bacteria to antimicrobial agents. Fungal spores (conidia and chlamydospores see Chapter 2) may be more... 

AccessMedicine Print Chapter 48. Antifungal Agents Fungal cell... 

Patients treated for intraabdominal infections should be assessed for the occurrence of drug-related adverse effects, particularly hypersensitivity reactions (/ -lactam antimicrobials), diarrhea (most agents), fungal infections (most agents), and nephrotoxicity (aminoglycosides). 

Antimicrobial agents are used where there is a need to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth. The additives can consist of copper, germanium, zinc and zinc compounds, metal oxides or sulfides, metal zeofltes, as well as silver and copper oxide-coated inorganic core particles (154—159) (see Industrial ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS). 

There are hundreds of topical steroid preparations that are available for the treatment of skin diseases. In addition to their aforementioned antiinflammatory effects, topical steroids also exert their effects by vasoconstriction of the capillaries in the superficial dermis and by reduction of cellular mitosis and cell proliferation especially in the basal cell layer of the skin. In addition to the aforementioned systemic side effects, topical steroids can have adverse local effects. Chronic treatment with topical corticosteroids may increase the risk of bacterial and fungal infections. A combination steroid and antibacterial agent can be used to combat this problem. Additional local side effects that can be caused by extended use of topical steroids are epidermal atrophy, acne, glaucoma and cataracts (thus the weakest concentrations should be used in and around the eyes), pigmentation problems, hypertrichosis, allergic contact dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, and granuloma gluteale infantum (251). 

Fluconazole (4) (s the first member of a new generation of orally acti ve antifungal agents, highly effective in the treatment of dermal and vaginal infections [6, 7] S-Fluorocyrtosine (5) is also used to treat serious systemic fungal infections [5]... 

Figure 8.4b). Some of the early antihistamines were found to exert antidepressant and antipsychotic properties. These led to modem psychopharmaceuticals. The immunosuppressant activity of the fungal agent cyclosporine also was exploited for therapeutic utility. 

Fludrocortisone is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to fludrocortisone and those with systemic fungal infections. Fludrocortisone is used cautiously in patients with Addison s disease infection, and during pregnancy (Pregnancy Category C) and lactation. Fludrocortisone decreases the effects of the barbiturates, hydantoins, and rifampin. There is a decrease in serum levels of the salicylates when those agents are administered with fludrocortisone... 

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