Antifungal treatment in pediatric patients.
Invasive fungal infections have increased in frequency and severity over the past two decades as a result of an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. This new age of opportunistic fungal infections extends to pediatric patients. The last decade has seen the development of several new antifungal agents for the treatment of these infections. However, there is a paucity of data on the treatment of invasive fungal infections in children. This review provides a brief overview of the current state of antifungal therapy for children, discussing the important antifungal classes and the differences in mechanisms of action and resistance, pharmacology, and efficacy and safety data in pediatric patients outside the neonatal period.
Zaoutis
Theoklis E
TE
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. zaoutis@email.chop.edu
Benjamin
Daniel K
DK
Steinbach
William J
WJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001393:Azoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077336:Caspofungin; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D054714:Echinocandins; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D055666:Lipopeptides; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077551:Micafungin; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001393:Azoles; D054714:Echinocandins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D014230:Triazoles; D000666:Amphotericin B; C007572:echinocandin B; D005437:Flucytosine; D000077336:Caspofungin; D000077551:Micafungin