Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds
08:54

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds

Published on: February 14, 2018

Empiric antifungal therapy and outcomes in extremely low birth weight infants with invasive candidiasis

Rachel G Greenberg1, Daniel K Benjamin, Marie G Gantz

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|March 20, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Empiric antifungal therapy in premature infants with invasive candidiasis was linked to better survival without neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Further research is recommended to confirm these findings.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Invasive candidiasis poses a significant threat to premature infants.
  • Early intervention with antifungal therapy is crucial for improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of empiric antifungal therapy on outcomes in premature infants with invasive candidiasis.
  • To assess the association between empiric antifungal treatment and survival, infection clearance, and major morbidities.

Main Methods:

  • Cohort study of very low birth weight infants (≤ 1000 g) with positive Candida cultures.
  • Defined empiric antifungal therapy as administration on or before the first positive culture.
  • Used propensity score-stratified Cox and logistic regression models to analyze outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Invasive candidiasis occurred in 136 infants.
  • Empiric antifungal therapy was associated with a lower incidence of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) (50% vs. 64%).
  • No significant differences were observed for individual outcomes or other combined outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Empiric antifungal therapy showed a positive association with survival without NDI in premature infants.
  • A prospective randomized trial is needed to validate this therapeutic strategy.
Abstract

More Related Videos

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract07:42

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Published on: July 1, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...