Metronidazole vs. ketoconazole: What’s the difference? Metronidazole and ketoconazole are used to treat different kinds of infections. Metronidazole is used to treat parasitic infections including Giardia infections of the small intestine, amebic liver abscess, amebic dysentery, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginal infections, and carriers of trichomonas who do not have symptoms of infection; to treat abscesses in...
Tuberculosis skin test facts Readers Comments 12 Share Your Story Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) Procedure for Detecting Tuberculosis by McGraw Hill The tuberculosis skin test is another name for the tuberculin test or PPD test. The PPD test determines if someone has developed an immune response to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Blood tests...
Candida auris (C. auris) facts* *C. auris facts by Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD Candida auris (C. auris) is a yeast-like fungus related to Candida albicans. It was first described as a pathogen in 2009 when isolated from a patient with an ear infection in Japan. The fungus causes invasive infections with a high death...
What is atovaquone-proguanil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Atovaquone and proguanil is an anti-malarial medication. Atovaquone blocks mitochondrial electron transfer and thereby the production of energy for use by the parasites. Proguanil is metabolized into its active metabolite, cycloguanil, which blocks dihydrofolate reductase and enzymes required for making pyrimidine which is a...
What is meropenem injection, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Meropenem is an injectable carbapenem antibiotic. It is similar to impenem and cilastin (Primaxin). Meropenem prevents bacteria from forming the walls that surround them. The walls are necessary to protect bacteria from their environment and to keep the contents of the bacterial cell...
Lamisil Cream vs. Lotrimin: What’s the difference? Lamisil Cream (terbinafine) and Lotrimin (clotrimazole) are antifungal agents applied to the skin used to treat fungal nails, jock itch, and athlete's foot. Other forms of Lotrimin are also used to treat vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, tinea versicolor, or tinea corporis. Lamisil Cream and Lotrimin Cream are...
What is Dengvaxia and how is it used? Dengvaxia (dengue tetravalent vaccine, live) is a vaccine indicated for the prevention of dengue disease caused by dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Dengvaxia is approved for use in individuals 9 through 16 years of age with laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection and living in endemic...
Leprosy (Hansen's disease) facts The progression of leprosy includes skin ulcers and lesions accompanied by loss of sensation and eventual loss of digits and other extremities. Leprosy is a slowly developing, progressive disease that damages the skin and nervous system. An infection with Mycobacterium leprae or M. lepromatosis bacteria causes leprosy. Early symptoms begin in...
Herpangina facts Fever is a symptom of herpangina, which most often affects young children. Herpangina is a self-limited viral infection primarily caused by a member of the Coxsackievirus family. Herpangina most often affects young children. Herpangina is associated with fever, sore throat, and blisters in the back of the mouth. Generally, doctors diagnose herpangina based...
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection facts Picture of owl eye inclusion bodies in kidney cells of an individual with cytomegalovirus infection; SOURCE: CDC/Dr. Haraszti CMV is a common virus in the same family as herpesvirus, and it can infect anyone. CMV spreads by direct contact of body fluids, such as saliva, blood, urine, semen, vaginal fluids, congenital...