Abstract

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Gian Maria Pacifici

ABSTRACT

The antifungal agents used in paediatric patients are: amphotericin B, fluconazole, micafungin, itraconazole, and caspofungin. The treatment of fungal infections with these antifungal agents has been extensively described. The efficacy and safety of amphotericin B have been reported in infants and children and the mean elimination half-life of amphotericin B is 92.2 hours. Fluconazole has been found efficacy and safe in infants and children. The pharmacokinetics of fluconazole have been studied in newborns and the mean elimination half-life of fluconazole is 40.9 hours. The treatment of fungal infection with fluconazole has been described. The efficacy and safety of micafungin have been reported in infants and children. The pharmacokinetics of micafungin have been studied in infants and the elimination half-life of micafungin is about 11 hours. The efficacy and safety of itraconazole have been described in infants and children. The pharmacokinetics of itraconazole have been studied in infants, children, and adolescents and the elimination half-life ranges from 13.3 to 29.0 hours. The efficacy and safety and the treatment with caspofungin have been described in infants and children. The pharmacokinetics of caspofungin have been studied in infants and toddlers and the elimination half-life of caspofungin is about 8 hours. The aim of this study is to describe the efficacy and safety and the pharmacokinetics of amphotericin B, fluconazole, micafungin, itraconazole, and caspofungin, in addition, the penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid and the treatment of fungal meningitis have been described with amphotericin B and fluconazole.

Keywords: Amphotericin B, Cerebrospinal-fluid, Caspofungin, Efficacy-safety, Fluconazole, Itraconazole, meningitis, Micafungin, Pharmacokinetics, Treatment.