Fungemia
| Fungemia | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 446: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| ICD-9-CM | 117.9 |
| Patient UK | Fungemia |
| MeSH | D016469 |
Fungemia (Fungaemia in the UK and other Commonwealth countries) is the presence of fungi or yeasts in the blood. The most common type, also known as Candidemia, Candedemia, or Invasive Candidiasis, is caused by Candida species, but infections by other fungi, including Saccharomyces, Aspergillus and Cryptococcus, are also called fungemia. It is most commonly seen in immunosuppressed or immunocompromised patients with severe neutropenia, oncology patients, or in patients with intravenous catheters. It has been suggested the otherwise immunocompetent patients taking infliximab may be at a higher risk for fungemia.
Diagnosis is difficult, as routine blood cultures have poor sensitivity.
Treatment
Treatment involves use of antifungals such as fluconazole and amphotericin.
Risk factors
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Pathogens
The most commonly known pathogen is Candida albicans, causing roughly 70% of fungemias, followed by Candida glabrata with 10%, Aspergillus with 1% and Saccharomyces as the fourth most common.[citation needed] However, the frequency of infection by C. glabrata, Saccharomyces boulardii, Candida tropicalis, C. krusei and C. parapsilosis is increasing, perhaps because significant use of fluconazole is common or due to increase in antibiotic use.
Symptoms
Symptoms can range from mild to extreme—often described as extreme flu-like symptoms. Many symptoms may be associated with fungemia, including pain, mental disorders, chronic fatigue, and infections. Skin infections can include persistent or non-healing wounds and lesions, sweating, itching, and unusual discharge or drainage.
See also
- Bacteremia
- Candidiasis (thrush)
- Mycosis
