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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract
Published on: July 1, 2020
Abstract:
Opportunistic systemic fungal infections are more frequent than generally realized. Increased awareness and a high index of suspicion of fungal super-infection in the presence of sepsis is required to bring about recognition and therapy. The intravenous catheter is an important portal of entry or may act as a foreign body favoring localization of a septic process. In its presence, fungemia must be guarded against. Whenever an intravenous catheter is removed, its tip should be cultured. Removal alone may be a critical item in therapy. In febrile patients, in whom the course of fever is not established, frequent blood cultures with attention directed specifically at fungi should be obtained. Fungi are not easily isolated and identified and only by requesting special attention from the microbiologist can the diagnosis be established in the average institutional laboratory in time to permit appropriate therapy. Since available therapeutic measures are strikingly effective when instituted early, awareness and alertness on the part of the clinician constitute the key to cure.
Insights
Systemic fungal infections, often opportunistic, require increased clinical awareness, especially with sepsis. Prompt recognition and early antifungal therapy, aided by catheter tip cultures and blood tests, are crucial for successful patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Opportunistic systemic fungal infections are under-recognized but clinically significant.
- Intravenous catheters serve as potential entry points for fungal pathogens or sites for septic localization.
- Fungal super-infections can complicate sepsis, necessitating heightened clinical suspicion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To emphasize the importance of increased awareness and early recognition of systemic fungal infections.
- To highlight the role of intravenous catheters in fungemia and the necessity of prompt diagnostic measures.
- To underscore the critical need for timely and effective antifungal therapy.
Main Methods:
- Culturing the tips of removed intravenous catheters.
- Obtaining frequent blood cultures, specifically requesting fungal detection, in febrile patients.
- Collaboration with microbiologists for specialized fungal isolation and identification.
Main Results:
- Early diagnosis of fungal infections is achievable with targeted microbiological investigation.
- Intravenous catheter removal can be a critical therapeutic intervention.
- Prompt initiation of antifungal treatment significantly improves patient prognosis.
Conclusions:
- Clinician awareness and alertness are paramount for the early detection and management of systemic fungal infections.
- Proactive diagnostic strategies, including catheter cultures and specific blood testing, are essential.
- Effective antifungal therapies are available and highly successful when administered early in the disease course.
