Cutaneous Fungal Infections in Older Adults

As the patient population aged older than 65 years increases, it becomes more impor-tant to recognize and treat skin conditions seen in this age group. When determining treatment choice, it is important to consider different physiologic characteristics faced by older adults, their often lengthy medication lists (warfarin, metformin, hydrochloro-thiazide, clopidogrel, and so forth), and their social living conditions. These patients should be prescribed simple regimens with a low risk of drug interactions. Treating skin conditions in older adults can lead to a significant increase in quality of life. Addi-tionally, some fungal infections may become a port of entry for more serious infec-tions, such as bacterial cellulitis, which can have significant morbidity and mortality in this patient population.