Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Real Life Pharmacology - Pharmacology Education for Health Care Professionals
Episode: Ketoconazole Pharmacology
Description: Ketoconazole is an imidazole antifungal that works by inhibiting fungal cytochrome P450 14α-demethylase, an enzyme essential for ergosterol synthesis, which disrupts fungal cell membrane integrity.
Common adverse effects of ketoconazole include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and elevated liver enzymes, with hepatotoxicity being a notable concern.
Ketoconazole carries a boxed warning for severe hepatotoxicity, including cases of liver failure and death, and should not be used as a first-line treatment for fungal infections when other safer antifungals are available.
Another boxed warning highlights ketoconazole’s potential to prolong the QT interval, increasing the risk for...