Side Effects

Chloroquine and its congeners can cause two typical effects in the eye, a keratopathy and a specific retinopathy. Both of these effects are associated with the administration of the drug over longer periods of time. Chloroquine-induced keratopathy is limited to the corneal epithelium, where high concentrations of the drug are readily demonstrable. Slit lamp examination shows a series of punctate opacities scattered diffusely over the cornea; these are sometimes seen as lines just below the center of the cornea, while thicker yellow lines may be seen in the stroma.

The “gray syndrome” is the term given to the vasomotor collapse that occurs in neonates who are given excessive parenteral doses of chloramphenicol. The syndrome is characterized by an ashen gray, cyanotic color of the skin, a fall in body temperature, vomiting, a protuberant abdomen, refusal to suck, irregular and rapid respiration, and lethargy. It is mainly seen in newborn infants, particularly when premature.

Albendazole has been used in the treatment of human hookworm and trichuriasis. In a mass-treatment report from Western Australia 295 individuals in a remote rural area were treated with albendazole 400 mg/day for 5 days because of possible Giardia lamblia and hookworm infections. The 37% prevalence of Giardia fell to 12% between days 6 and 9, but rose again to 28% between days 18 and 30. The effect on hookworms (Ankylostoma duodenale) was more pronounced and more sustained with a reduction of the pretreatment prevalence of hookworm infections from 76% before treatment to 0% after 3^1 weeks.

Ofloxacin ophthalmic is one of the medications to treat bacterial infections of the eye. The main active ingredient is also used in the Ofloxacin ear drops, which proved their effectiveness over time. Both remedies are to be applied with precaution and according to the prescription.

Minocycline and doxycycline are predominantly eliminated by the liver and biliary tract (70-90%). Therefore, no change in dose is needed in patients with impaired renal function. However, it should be considered that hepatic elimination of doxycycline or minocycline might be accelerated by co-administration of agents that induce hepatic enzymes.

Itraconazole is a triazole antifungal drug. It is used orally to treat oropharyngeal and vulvovaginal candidiasis, pityriasis versicolor, dermatophytoses unresponsive to topical treatment, and systemic infections, including aspergillosis, blastomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, cocci-dioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, paracocci-dioidomycosis, and sporotrichosis.