Physicians' knowledge of invasive fungal disease in China

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Data are lacking regarding physicians' perspectives on the diagnosis and management of IFD in China.

To evaluate physicians' perspectives on the diagnosis and management of IFD.

Based on current guidelines, a questionnaire was designed and administered to 294 physicians working in haematology departments, intensive care units, respiratory departments and infectious diseases departments in 18 hospitals in China.

The total score and subsection scores for invasive candidiasis, invasive aspergillosis (IA), cryptococcosis and invasive mucormycosis (IM) were 72.0 ± 12.2 (maximum = 100), 11.1 ± 2.7 (maximum = 19), 43.0 ± 7.8 (maximum = 57), 8.1 ± 2.0 (maximum = 11) and 9.8 ± 2.3 (maximum = 13), respectively. Although the perspectives of the Chinese physicians were in good overall agreement with guideline recommendations, some knowledge gaps were identified. Specific areas in which the physicians' perspectives and guideline recommendations differed included use of the β-D-glucan test to facilitate the diagnosis of IFD, relative utility of the serum galactomannan test and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid galactomannan test in patients with agranulocytosis, use of imaging in the diagnosis of mucormycosis, risk factors for mucormycosis, indications for initiating antifungal therapy in patients with haematological malignancies, when to start empirical therapy in mechanically ventilated patients, first-line drugs for mucormycosis and treatment courses for IA and IM.

This study highlights the main areas that could be targeted by training programs to improve the knowledge of physicians treating patients with IFD in China.