Mycoses
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Invasive candidiasis is a common nosocomial infection among critically ill patients, constitutes an important cause of sepsis, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has created evidence-based guidelines for the management of invasive candidiasis. ⋯ Further, the role of antifungals is not entirely clear in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Therefore, this article discusses daily problems in the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive candidasis in interdisciplinary ICUs.
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We discuss different strategies for the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFI) in high risk patients with a focus on patients experiencing profound and prolonged neutropenia, comprising those with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) during remission induction chemotherapy and on patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Among these patients, invasive aspergillosis (IA) is the most frequently observed form of IFI, as opposed to high risk intensive care unit (ICU) patients in whom an increased incidence of invasive candidiasis (IC) can be observed. In both groups, initiation of early treatment has a profound impact on mortality rates, but adequate diagnostic tools are lacking. ⋯ Patients with susceptible Candida spp. may be switched to fluconazole. Caspofungin or micafungin might be preferred to anidulafungin in the neutropenic patient. L-AmB is a valuable second line treatment option for both groups of patients.