Pathophysiology
Tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot, is the term used for a dermatophyte infection of the sole of the foot and interdigital spaces (Porth, 2015). This infection is most commonly caused by Trichophyton rubrum, initially endemic to a small region of Southeast Asia. Dermatophytes are fungi that require keratin for growth. The fungus that causes tinea pedis falls under this umbrella. Other causes of tinea pedis include: Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. The spread of the fungus is due to an increased means of travel and the introduction of occlusive footwear, along with moisture. These two factors combine to make T. rubrum the world’s most prevalent dermatophyte, with the first reported case noted in the …show more content…
It is the most common fungal dermatosis. Athlete’s foot primarily affects the spaces in between the toes and on the soles of the feet. This fungal infection causes itching, redness of skin, patchy lesions, sweating, and a foul odor (Brunner, 2014). However, redness may sometimes be the only sign of athlete’s feet. While these are all symptoms of infection, some of these characteristics may not be seen upon observation of an infected client (Brunner, 2014).
There are two different forms of treatment for athlete’s foot. Superficial or simple forms of this infection are treated with topical antifungal medications whereas more difficult and complex cases are treated with oral or systemic antifungals. Other treatments consist of preventive measures including careful cleaning and drying of affected areas. Another form of treatment used by some are the natural …show more content…
Though the most common treatments for systemic fungal infections include: fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine (Weinstein 2002, Brunner & Suddarth 2014, Sahoo & Mahajan 2016). The focus of this paper will be on the more common pharmacological treatments of athlete’s foot.
Imidazoles (-azoles) Topical clotrimazole (Mycelex, Lotrimin), econazole, oxiconazole (Oxistat), sulconazole (Exelderm), and ketoconazole (Nizoral).
These medications are all part of the imidazole antifungals drug family, which are all indicated for athlete’s foot (Aschenbrenner & Venable, 2012). They are considered fungistatic/fungicidals, meaning that they stop the growth of fungus and kill it. The mechanism of action for these kind of drugs is that they alter the cell wall permeability and produce
Tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot, is the term used for a dermatophyte infection of the sole of the foot and interdigital spaces (Porth, 2015). This infection is most commonly caused by Trichophyton rubrum, initially endemic to a small region of Southeast Asia. Dermatophytes are fungi that require keratin for growth. The fungus that causes tinea pedis falls under this umbrella. Other causes of tinea pedis include: Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. The spread of the fungus is due to an increased means of travel and the introduction of occlusive footwear, along with moisture. These two factors combine to make T. rubrum the world’s most prevalent dermatophyte, with the first reported case noted in the …show more content…
It is the most common fungal dermatosis. Athlete’s foot primarily affects the spaces in between the toes and on the soles of the feet. This fungal infection causes itching, redness of skin, patchy lesions, sweating, and a foul odor (Brunner, 2014). However, redness may sometimes be the only sign of athlete’s feet. While these are all symptoms of infection, some of these characteristics may not be seen upon observation of an infected client (Brunner, 2014).
There are two different forms of treatment for athlete’s foot. Superficial or simple forms of this infection are treated with topical antifungal medications whereas more difficult and complex cases are treated with oral or systemic antifungals. Other treatments consist of preventive measures including careful cleaning and drying of affected areas. Another form of treatment used by some are the natural …show more content…
Though the most common treatments for systemic fungal infections include: fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine (Weinstein 2002, Brunner & Suddarth 2014, Sahoo & Mahajan 2016). The focus of this paper will be on the more common pharmacological treatments of athlete’s foot.
Imidazoles (-azoles) Topical clotrimazole (Mycelex, Lotrimin), econazole, oxiconazole (Oxistat), sulconazole (Exelderm), and ketoconazole (Nizoral).
These medications are all part of the imidazole antifungals drug family, which are all indicated for athlete’s foot (Aschenbrenner & Venable, 2012). They are considered fungistatic/fungicidals, meaning that they stop the growth of fungus and kill it. The mechanism of action for these kind of drugs is that they alter the cell wall permeability and produce