Fluconazole Drug Study

In making a Drug Study, the following elements must be present: Generic Name and the Brand name (not all brands, just the brand used by the patient), Action, Indication, Pregnancy Category, Drug Classification, and Contraindication, Adverse Effect, Drug interaction and Nursing Consideration/Intervention…. Most clinical instructors preferred this to be in a long bond paper in printed or handwritten with paper in landscape.

Fluconazole

Brand Name: Diflucan

Pregnancy Category C

Drug class: Antifungal

Therapeutic actions

Binds to sterols in the fungal cell membrane, changing membrane permeability; fungicidal or fungistatic depending on concentration and organism.

Indications

· Treatment of oropharyngeal, esophageal, and vaginal candidiasis

· Treatment of cryptococcal meningitis

· Treatment of systemic fungal infections

· Prophylaxis to decrease incidence of candidiasis in bone marrow transplants

Contraindications

· Contraindicated with hypersensitivity to fluconazole, lactation.

Adverse effects

· CNS: Headache

· GI: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain

· Other: Rash

Drug Interactions:

· Increased serum levels and therefore therapeutic and toxic effects of cyclosporine, phenytoin, benzodiazepines, oral hypoglycemics, warfarin anticoagulants, zidovudine

· Decreased serum levels with rifampin, theophylline, TCAs, losartan

Nursing considerations

· Culture infection prior to therapy; begin treatment before lab results are returned.

· Decrease dosage in cases of renal failure.

· Infuse IV only; not intended for IM or SC use.

· Do not add supplement medication to fluconazole.

· Administer through sterile equipment at a maximum rate of 200 mg/hr given as a continuous infusion.

· Monitor renal function tests weekly, discontinue or decrease dosage of drug at any sign of increased renal toxicity.