Context:: Fungal infections are very common, and several medications are used to treat them. Azoles are prescribed widely to treat fungal infections. In addition to therapeutic effects, any drug can be accompanied by side effects in patients. One of the most important complications in this regard is liver injury. Therefore, hepatotoxicity induced by azole antifungal drugs were reviewed in this study. Evidence Acquisition:: English scientific papers were evaluated to review the effects of hepatotoxicity by azole antifungal agents, and the related studies' results were summarized using a table. The systematic search was implemented on electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Original articles and review articles that were published before April 1, 2022, were included in the study. Those articles without available full text or non-English articles were excluded. Also, articles that reported pediatric data were excluded. Results:: Most studies have reported the effects of hepatotoxicity by azole antifungal agents, and their mechanisms have been described. Conclusions:: Clinical evaluations regarding the hepatotoxicity of antifungal agents provided in the literature were reviewed. Therefore, it is recommended to prescribe these drugs with caution in high-risk patients suffering from liver diseases, and patients should be monitored for hepatotoxicity. However, more research is needed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of azole antifungal agents and select appropriate drugs according to cost-effectiveness and the side effects' profiles, relying on lower incidence of this liver complication.
1 June 2020 in Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance
Cytokine release syndrome is prevalent in severe cases of COVID-19. In this syndrome, an uncontrolled response of immune system occurs. Extracorporeal blood purification has been proven to effectively remove the released inflammatory cytokines. Here, we reported a successful case to represent our experience of extracorporeal blood purification in a patient with severe COVID-19.
Background: Primary axillary hyperhidrosis (PAH) is a chronic idiopathic disorder causing major stress in patients. Among the common therapies for PAH, only surgical interventions have proven feasible as a permanent solution. Objective and Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fractional microneedle radiofrequency (FMR) as an alternative permanent treatment for PAH with long-term follow-up. Materials and Methods: This was a single-blind, sham-controlled comparative study. Twenty-five patients with severe PAH were provided three treatments of FMR at 3-week intervals (the treatment group), and a control group was provided the sham treatment. Clinical efficacy was evaluated using the hyperhidrosis disease severity scale (HDSS) at baseline and the end of the study, as well as during the 1 year follow-up phase. Results: HDSS demonstrated significant improvement after treatment in the treatment group compared to the sham control. The mean (±standard deviation) of HDSS in the group being treated with radiofrequency was 2.50 (±0.88) after 1 year follow-up, and that of the control group was 3.38 (±0.49; P < 0.001). Follow-up results show that there were 10 patients (41.6%) with no relapse and 11 patients (45.9%) with relapse after 1 year. There was a significant correlation between HDSS changes in relapse and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Treatment of PAH with FMR is a safe and noninvasive procedure with a positive therapeutic effect on HDSS. It is recommended, however, that sessions of FMR be repeated after 1 year, particularly in overweight patients with high BMIs. Clinical Trial Registration: IRCT2013111915455N1. Level of Evidences: Level II-1.
1 January 2015 in Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology