Emergence of Antifungal Resistance and Resistant Candida Species in Health-care Setups

Publication date: January 2013 Source:Journal of Patient Safety & Infection Control, Volume 1, Issue 1 Author(s): Jagdish Chander Fungal infections and resistance are becoming a cause of concern in immunosuppressed as well as immunocompromised individuals. The main objective of this review is to elucidate the common mechanisms of antifungal resistance and the means to counter it. Multidrug resistance has been observed to be the principal cause of failure in the treatment of fungal infections. Incidence of resistant Candida glabrata isolates as well as Candida albicans is on the rise. There have been reports of resistance to antifungal drugs like amphotericin B, azoles, and 5-flucytosine. Newer antifungals such as echinocandins maybe alternatives to the resistance but they are costly and have their limitations. Cautious usage of newer antifungals based on standardized susceptibility testing methods would avoid development of resistance rationalizing antifungal therapy and unnecessary usage.
Source: Journal of Patient Safety and Infection Control - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research