DETERMINATION OF SENSITIVITY TO ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS - EVALUATION OF AN API KIT

Evaluation of a commercial kit method for testing sensitivity of yeast s to antifungal drugs was performed employing agar gel dilution as the reference method. For the cidal drugs amphotericin B and flucytosine, results were closely comparable. For the three azole drugs tested, mi conazole, econazole and ketoconazole, the discrepant results obtained probably relate to a number of factors affecting the end-point when te sting these agents. Although easy to perform, the kit method is relati vely expensive and the newer antifungal agents (e.g. fluconazole and i traconazole) are not included. Though showing promise, the kit method has limitations in its present format.