Invasive, life-threatening fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly for patients with compromised immune function. The number of therapeutic options for the treatment of invasive fungal infections is quite limited when compared with those available to treat bacterial infections. Indeed, only three classes of molecules are currently used in clinical pract...

The risk for invasive fungal infections in patients with acute leukemia is generally low (4%–8%), and the routine use of fungal prophylaxis is not warranted except in specific high-risk groups that should be identified among this population. In a prophylactic study with a new agent, fluconazole or itraconazole oral solution represent good choices for the comparator because they are proven bette...

Persistent or recurrent unexplained fever in neutropenic patients receiving antibiotics can be caused by invasive fungal infections, which are often difficult to diagnose. Early trials of empirical antifungal therapy with amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB) documented reductions in the frequency of and the morbidity and mortality associated with invasive fungal infections. Because of AmB's infusi...

OBJECTIVES This study aims to systematically identify and summarize the effects of antifungal prophylaxis in non-neutropenic critically ill adult patients on all-cause mortality and the incidence of invasive fungal infections. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in all languages comparing the prophylactic use of any antifungal agent or regimen with plac...

Invasive fungal infections are important causes of morbidity and attributable mortality in neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies, myelodysplasia, and aplastic anemia. Successful risk-based strategies can be implemented for prophylaxis, empirical therapy, and preemptive therapy for the prevention and early treatment of invasive fungal infections in neutropenic hosts. The use of ec...

In the past decade, we have witnessed striking advances in the diagnosis and therapy of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Similar to the quantum leap in HIV medicine about 15 years ago, this progress resulted from the synergy of new diagnostic assays (galactomannan antigen, beta-glucan, (pan-)fungal polymerase chain reaction), with new and better antifungal drugs such as...