Final answer:
Amphotericin B is an antifungal medication used to treat systemic fungal infections. Monitoring for nephrotoxicity is essential, and it is often combined with flucytosine for enhanced efficacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Amphotericin B is an important antifungal medication used to treat serious systemic fungal infections. These infections include aspergillosis, cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and candidiasis. When administering Amphotericin B, it is crucial to regularly check serum creatinine levels due to its potential nephrotoxicity (kidney toxicity). Furthermore, Amphotericin B is often used in combination with flucytosine, a pyrimidine analog that interferes with fungal DNA replication and protein synthesis. However, flucytosine can lead to hepatotoxicity and bone marrow depression. Amphotericin B has been a cornerstone of antifungal therapy, but its use must be carefully monitored because of its side effect profile.