What it means
Fungi include yeasts, molds and mushrooms. A few cause disease in people. Common infections are on the skin and nails (athlete's foot, ringworm) or in the mouth and vagina (yeast infections caused by Candida). Serious infections of the lungs or blood happen mostly in people with weak immune systems. Antibiotics do not treat fungi; antifungal drugs such as nystatin and fluconazole do.
For the nurse
Antibiotics and steroids raise the risk of yeast infections, such as oral thrush. Keep skin folds clean and dry, and check the mouth of clients on inhaled steroids: teach them to rinse after each use.
At a glance
| Spanish | hongo |
|---|---|
| Also written | fungi, fungal |
Related terms
bacterium
A tiny one-celled living thing, seen only under a microscope, of which some kinds cause disease; the plural is bacteria.
opportunistic infection
An infection caused by a germ that rarely makes healthy people sick but takes advantage of a weakened immune system.
parasite
A living thing that lives on or in another living thing and gets its food from it, often causing harm.
virus
A tiny germ, much smaller than a bacterium, that can only multiply inside the living cells of another organism.