[Candida infection in the severely burned patient--a successful treatment concept with liposomal amphotericin B]

Candida sepsis is a very serious complication in severely burned patients. This mainly affects patients whose immune system is weakened by illness and/or by drugs. Often diagnosis is difficult because candida sepsis occurs after an initial infection, but therapy is always difficult. Good fungicidal drugs are available, but their side effects limit their effectivity. Two severely burned patients who were suffering from a gram-negative sepsis confirmed by clinical and laboratory data developed candida sepsis. Conventional therapy failed, and both patients suffered from renal failure with constantly high candida-latex-antigen titre. By means of the liposomal encapsulated amphotericin B, which has the same fungicidal effect as amphotericin B, but without its limiting side effects, both, patients could be saved. The kidneys functioned as normal again, the laboratory findings were normal when the patients were discharged.