The influence of excessive consumption of liquorice on phenprocoumon (Marcumar®): a case report.

Here, the case of a 92-year-old female patient, who was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and treated with phenprocoumon (Marcumar®), is reported. Pre-existing comorbidities were arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, mild senile dementia and renal insufficiency. Despite treatment with phenprocoumon (Marcumar®), the patient experienced an ischaemic stroke. Her measured international normalized ratio (INR)-values during the months before the stroke were within the therapeutic range of 2-3, then suddenly decreased to 1.25. A retrospective inquiry failed to identify any significant changes in behaviour or therapy adherence, other than the consumption of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of hard-boiled candy liquorice in the days leading up to the stroke. The sudden decrease in INR-values may be explained by the influence of liquorice and its compounds on the pharmacokinetics of phenprocoumon (Marcumar®). In this context, the most important factors are the susceptibility of vitamin K antagonists to nutrition or metabolic irregularities, the influence of liquorice on the function of isoenzymes of the cytochrome P450 family that may lead to reduced bioavailability of phenprocoumon, and the influence of liquorice on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha transactivation.

Epidemiology and antifungal susceptibilities of Candida spp. to six antifungal agents: results from a surveillance study on fungaemia in Germany from July 2004 to August 2005.

OBJECTIVES: Data on fungal infections occurring in Germany are rare to date. The aim of the present study was to survey the epidemiological situation in Germany, to provide data on the susceptibility of the fungal isolates to antifungals. METHODS: Five hundred and sixty-one Candida isolates were collected from primarily sterile sites of patients from July 2004 to August 2005 with the aid of a nationwide established laboratory network, MykolabNet-D. The MICs of amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin were determined using the microdilution reference procedure M27-A2 of the CLSI. RESULTS: Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species (58.5%), followed by Candida glabrata (19.1%), Candida parapsilosis (8.0%) and Candida tropicalis (7.5%). In contrast, the isolation rate of Candida krusei (1.4%) was low. Candida kefyr appeared as a new pathogen in this profile. Amphotericin B revealed excellent activity, with only three resistant isolates (0.5%). A total of 25 isolates (4.5%) showed resistance against flucytosine. All 25 isolates were identified as C. tropicalis indicating a peculiarity within German isolates. The resistance rate of all tested isolates to fluconazole and to itraconazole was 3.7% and 17.6%, respectively. According to the provisional breakpoints, two isolates (0.4%) were tested as resistant to voriconazole. Caspofungin was active against the majority of isolates where an intrinsic resistance is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: This latest German survey of isolates from patients with fungaemia demonstrates a favourable situation with respect to antifungal susceptibilities for the antifungal substances tested.