Antiprotozoal Drugs

Definition

Antiprotozoal drugs are medicines that treat infections caused by protozoa.

Purpose

Antiprotozoal drugs are used to treat a variety of diseases caused by protozoa. Protozoa are animal-like, one-celled animals, such as amoebas. Some are parasites that cause infections in the body. African sleeping sickness, giardiasis, amebiasis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and malaria are examples of diseases caused by protozoa.

Description

Antiprotozoal drugs come in liquid, tablet, and injectable forms and are available only with a doctor's prescription. Some commonly used antiprotozoal drugs are metronidazole (Flagyl), eflornithine (Ornidyl), furazolidone (Furoxone), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), iodoquinol (Diquinol, Yodoquinol, Yodoxin), and pentamidine (Pentam 300).

Recommended dosage

The recommended dosage depends on the type of antiprotozoal drug, its strength, and the medical problem for which it is being used. Check with the physician who prescribed the drug or the pharmacist who filled the prescription for the correct dosage. Always take antiprotozoal drugs exactly as directed.

Precautions

Some people feel dizzy, confused, lightheaded, or less alert when using these drugs. The drugs may also cause blurred vision and other vision problems. For these reasons, anyone who takes these drugs should not drive, use machines or do anything else that might be dangerous until they have found out how the drugs affect them.The antiprotozoal drug furazolidone may cause very dangerous side effects when taken with certain foods or beverages. Likewise, metronidazole (Flagyl) can cause serious liver damage if taken with alcohol. Check with the physician who prescribed the drug or the pharmacist who filled the prescription for a list of products to avoid while taking these medicines.Anyone who has ever had unusual reactions to antiprotozoal drugs or related medicines should let his or her physician know before taking the drugs again. The physician should also be told about any allergies to foods, dyes, preservatives, or other substances.Some antiprotozoal drugs may cause problems with the blood. This can increase the risk of infection or excessive bleeding. Patients taking these drugs shouldbe careful not to injure their gums when brushing or flossing their teeth or using a toothpick. They shouldcheck with the physician before having any dentalwork done. Care should also be taken to avoidcuts from razors, nail clippers, or kitchen knives, orhousehold tools. Anyone who has any of these symptoms while taking antiprotozoal drugs should call the physician immediately:

Fever or chills
Signs of cold or flu
Signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or inflammation
Unusual bruising or bleeding
Black, tarry stools
Blood in urine or stools
Pinpoint red spots on the skin
Unusual tiredness or weakness.

Anyone taking this medicine should also check with a physician immediately if any of these symptoms occur:

Blurred vision or other vision changes
Skin rash, hives, or itching
Swelling of the neck
Clumsiness or unsteadiness
Numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
Decrease in urination.

Children are especially sensitive to the effects of some antiprotozoal drugs. Never give this medicine to a child unless directed to do so by a physician, and always keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Use safety vials.The effects of antiprotozoal drugs on pregnant women have not been studied. However, in experiments with pregnant laboratory animals, some antiprotozoal drugs cause birth defects or death of the fetus. Women who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant should check with their physicians before taking antiprotozoal drugs. Mothers who are breastfeeding should also check with their physicians about the safety of taking these drugs.

Key terms

Amebiasis — An infection caused by an ameba, which is a type of protozoan.Fetus — A developing baby inside the womb.Giardiasis — A condition in which the intestines are infected with Giardia lamblia, a type of protozoan.Inflammation — Pain, redness, swelling, and heat that usually develop in response to injury or illness.Parasite — An organism that lives and feeds in or on another organism (the host) and does nothing to benefit the host.Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia — A severe lung infection caused by a parasitic protozoan. The disease mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, such as people with AIDS.Before using antiprotozoal drugs, people with any of these medical problems should make sure their physicians are aware of their conditions:

Anemia or other blood problems
Kidney disease
Heart disease
Low blood pressure
Diabetes
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Liver disease
Stomach or intestinal disease
Nerve or brain disease or disorder, including convulsions (seizures)
Psoriasis (a skin condition)
Hearing loss
Deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)
Eye or vision problems
Thyroid disease.

Side effects

The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. These problems usually go away as the body adjusts to the drug and do not require medical treatment.Other rare side effects may occur. Anyone who has unusual symptoms after taking an antiprotozoal drug should get in touch with his or her physician.

Interactions

Antiprotozoal drugs may interact with other medicines. When this happens, the effects of one or both of the drugs may change or the risk of side effects may be greater. Anyone who takes antiprotozoal drugs should let the physician know all other medicines he or she is taking. Among the drugs that may interact with antiprotozoal drugs are:

Alcohol
Anticancer drugs
Medicine for overactive thyroid
Antiviral drugs such as zidovudine (Retrovir)
Antibiotics
Medicine used to relieve pain or inflammation
Amphetamine
Diet pills (appetite suppressants)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) such as phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate), used to treat conditions including depression and Parkinson's disease.
Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil)
Decongestants such as phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
Other antiprotozoal drugs.

The list above does not include every medicine that may interact with an antifungal drug. Be sure to check with a physician or pharmacist before combining antifungal drugs with any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicine.

单词	antiprotozoal drugs
释义	Antiprotozoal Drugs Antiprotozoal Drugs Definition Antiprotozoal drugs are medicines that treat infections caused by protozoa. Purpose Antiprotozoal drugs are used to treat a variety of diseases caused by protozoa. Protozoa are animal-like, one-celled animals, such as amoebas. Some are parasites that cause infections in the body. African sleeping sickness, giardiasis, amebiasis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and malaria are examples of diseases caused by protozoa. Description Antiprotozoal drugs come in liquid, tablet, and injectable forms and are available only with a doctor's prescription. Some commonly used antiprotozoal drugs are metronidazole (Flagyl), eflornithine (Ornidyl), furazolidone (Furoxone), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), iodoquinol (Diquinol, Yodoquinol, Yodoxin), and pentamidine (Pentam 300). Recommended dosage The recommended dosage depends on the type of antiprotozoal drug, its strength, and the medical problem for which it is being used. Check with the physician who prescribed the drug or the pharmacist who filled the prescription for the correct dosage. Always take antiprotozoal drugs exactly as directed. Precautions Some people feel dizzy, confused, lightheaded, or less alert when using these drugs. The drugs may also cause blurred vision and other vision problems. For these reasons, anyone who takes these drugs should not drive, use machines or do anything else that might be dangerous until they have found out how the drugs affect them.The antiprotozoal drug furazolidone may cause very dangerous side effects when taken with certain foods or beverages. Likewise, metronidazole (Flagyl) can cause serious liver damage if taken with alcohol. Check with the physician who prescribed the drug or the pharmacist who filled the prescription for a list of products to avoid while taking these medicines.Anyone who has ever had unusual reactions to antiprotozoal drugs or related medicines should let his or her physician know before taking the drugs again. The physician should also be told about any allergies to foods, dyes, preservatives, or other substances.Some antiprotozoal drugs may cause problems with the blood. This can increase the risk of infection or excessive bleeding. Patients taking these drugs shouldbe careful not to injure their gums when brushing or flossing their teeth or using a toothpick. They shouldcheck with the physician before having any dentalwork done. Care should also be taken to avoidcuts from razors, nail clippers, or kitchen knives, orhousehold tools. Anyone who has any of these symptoms while taking antiprotozoal drugs should call the physician immediately: Fever or chills Signs of cold or flu Signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or inflammation Unusual bruising or bleeding Black, tarry stools Blood in urine or stools Pinpoint red spots on the skin Unusual tiredness or weakness. Anyone taking this medicine should also check with a physician immediately if any of these symptoms occur: Blurred vision or other vision changes Skin rash, hives, or itching Swelling of the neck Clumsiness or unsteadiness Numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands or feet Decrease in urination. Children are especially sensitive to the effects of some antiprotozoal drugs. Never give this medicine to a child unless directed to do so by a physician, and always keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Use safety vials.The effects of antiprotozoal drugs on pregnant women have not been studied. However, in experiments with pregnant laboratory animals, some antiprotozoal drugs cause birth defects or death of the fetus. Women who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant should check with their physicians before taking antiprotozoal drugs. Mothers who are breastfeeding should also check with their physicians about the safety of taking these drugs. Key terms Amebiasis — An infection caused by an ameba, which is a type of protozoan.Fetus — A developing baby inside the womb.Giardiasis — A condition in which the intestines are infected with Giardia lamblia, a type of protozoan.Inflammation — Pain, redness, swelling, and heat that usually develop in response to injury or illness.Parasite — An organism that lives and feeds in or on another organism (the host) and does nothing to benefit the host.Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia — A severe lung infection caused by a parasitic protozoan. The disease mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, such as people with AIDS.Before using antiprotozoal drugs, people with any of these medical problems should make sure their physicians are aware of their conditions: Anemia or other blood problems Kidney disease Heart disease Low blood pressure Diabetes Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Liver disease Stomach or intestinal disease Nerve or brain disease or disorder, including convulsions (seizures) Psoriasis (a skin condition) Hearing loss Deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) Eye or vision problems Thyroid disease. Side effects The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. These problems usually go away as the body adjusts to the drug and do not require medical treatment.Other rare side effects may occur. Anyone who has unusual symptoms after taking an antiprotozoal drug should get in touch with his or her physician. Interactions Antiprotozoal drugs may interact with other medicines. When this happens, the effects of one or both of the drugs may change or the risk of side effects may be greater. Anyone who takes antiprotozoal drugs should let the physician know all other medicines he or she is taking. Among the drugs that may interact with antiprotozoal drugs are: Alcohol Anticancer drugs Medicine for overactive thyroid Antiviral drugs such as zidovudine (Retrovir) Antibiotics Medicine used to relieve pain or inflammation Amphetamine Diet pills (appetite suppressants) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) such as phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate), used to treat conditions including depression and Parkinson's disease. Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil) Decongestants such as phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) Other antiprotozoal drugs. The list above does not include every medicine that may interact with an antifungal drug. Be sure to check with a physician or pharmacist before combining antifungal drugs with any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicine.
随便看	polarographic half-wave potential polarographic maximum polarography polaroid polaroid camera polaroid digital camera polaroid glass polaroid holding company polaroid land camera polaroid machine vision laboratory polaroid photography polaron polar operational meteorological satellite polar opposite polar opposition polar orbit polar orbiting geomagnetic satellite polar orbiting geomagnetic survey polar orbiting geophysical observatory polar orbiting satellite polar orbiting satellite system designed by university of michigan polar orbits polar organic chemical integrative sampler polar outbreak polar ozone and aerosol measurement