Pharmaceutical care in the context of an Extension Project to care for patients with vaginal candidiasis with the strategy of carrying out antifungal resistance testing and community health prevention

Abstract

Vaginal candidiasis, fungal infection caused by species of Candida spp. that affects women of all ages, cultures, habits, social and economic conditions. Its frequency and epidemiology is already reported, but resistance and therapeutic failures have been recorded. Methodology: In the Laboratory of Clinical and Toxicological Analyzes of the Faculty of Pharmacy of UFRGS (LACT), cervicovaginal collections of women were performed for Candida research and determination of species, after which susceptibility tests were performed to fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole and nystatin. With the results obtained complement with the Pharmaceutical Care Project. Results: C. albicans was identified in 37% and in non-albicans species, C. glabrata in 27%. C. albicans was more sensitive to antifungals than C. glabrata, which presented a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) higher than C. albicans. Conclusion: Antifungal resistance has increased due to the use in prophylaxis and treatments without the correct diagnosis, requiring a more careful look at these patients. Thus, it is necessary to follow up the diagnosis and treatment by the health professional, the pharmacist, who has knowledge of the drug therapy used and this is obtained by the Pharmaceutical Care acting in the Project.

Keywords

• vaginal candidiasis, susceptibility testing, resistance, candida spp., pharmaceutical attention, pharmacist.