The drugs of choice for treatment of some fungal infections are listed. Some of the indications and dosages recommended here have not been approved by the FDA. More detailed guidelines are available online from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (www.idsociety.org).

The drugs of choice for treatment of some fungal infections are listed in the tables. Some of the indications and dosages recommended here have not been approved by the FDA. Other guidelines are available from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (www.idsociety.org).

The drugs of choice for treatment of deep fungal infections are listed in the table below. Some of the indications and dosages recommended here have not been approved by the FDA.

Terbinafine (Lamisil - Sandoz), an allylamine synthetic antifungal, previously available in the USA in a topical formulation (Medical Letter, 35:76, 1993) has now been marketed for oral use in the treatment of fungal nail infections caused by dermatophytes. Oral terbinafine has been available in Europe since 1992.

Ceftibuten (Cedax - Schering), an oral cephalosporin similar to cefixime (Suprax - Medical Letter, 31:73, 1989), has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of acute otitis media, pharyngitis or tonsillitis, and for acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

The drugs of choice for treatment of deep fungal infections are listed in the table on page 101. Some of the indications and dosages recommended here have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. More detailed guidelines are available from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (J Sobel et al, Clin Infect Dis, volume 30, April 2000).

Itraconazole (Sporanox - Janssen), an oral antifungal triazole that has been available in the USA since 1992 for treatment of deep fungal infections (Medical Letter, 35:7, 1993), is now being marketed for treatment of dermatophyte infections of the toenails, with or without fingernail involvement.

Many drugs, mostly imidazole derivatives, are marketed in the USA for topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (Medical Letter, 33:81, 1991). Recently, fluconazole (Diflucan - Roerig), which is the drug of choice for treatment of oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis (Medical Letter, 36:16, 1994), was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for single-dose oral treatment of .

The incidence of serious fungal infections continues to increase, particularly in patiens who have AIDS or taking immunosuppressive drugs. The drugs of choice for treatment of these infection are listed in the table on page 18

Enoxaparin (Lovenox - Rh ne-Poulenc Rorer), the first low-molecular-weight heparin to become commercially available in the USA, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for prevention of deep vein thrombosis following hip replacement. Five other products have been marketed in Europe.

Terbinafine 1% cream (Lamisil - Sandoz), an allylamine synthetic antifungal drug chemically related to naftifine (Naftin - Medical Letter, 30:98, 1988), is now available in the USA for topical treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis infections. An oral formulation is available in Europe and is under investigation here.

Itraconazole (Sporanox - Janssen), an antifungal triazole, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for oral treatment of histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. These two endemic mycoses occur both in normal hosts and in immunocompromised patients, such as those with AIDS (RW Bradsher, Clin Infect Dis, 14:S82, 1992; LJ Wheat, Clin Infect Dis, 14:S91, 1992).