Prophylaxis of fungal infections

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Updated: Oct 30, 2026

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract
07:42

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

Published on: July 1, 2020

U S Schuler1, C Haag

  • 1Medizinische Klinik I, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technischen Universität Dresden, FR Germany.

Mycoses
|January 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Prophylaxis is crucial for severely immunocompromised patients facing opportunistic mycoses. Fluconazole (FLU) effectively prevents Candida infections in bone marrow transplant recipients, offering a promising drug strategy.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Opportunistic mycoses pose significant risks, leading to high morbidity and mortality in severely immunocompromised individuals.
  • Preventing Aspergillus spp. infections can be achieved through environmental controls like air filtration.
  • Candida infections, however, are often endogenous, making antifungal drug prophylaxis a more viable strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of antifungal prophylaxis in severely immunocompromised patients.
  • To identify optimal strategies for preventing opportunistic fungal infections, particularly in bone marrow transplant recipients.

Main Methods:

  • Review of strategies for preventing opportunistic mycoses.
  • Analysis of prospective randomized studies evaluating antifungal agents.
  • Focus on drug prophylaxis for Candida infections.

Main Results:

  • Air filtration effectively reduces Aspergillus spp. infection rates.
  • Fluconazole (FLU) has demonstrated effectiveness in preventing Candida infections.
  • Prospective randomized studies confirm fluconazole's efficacy in bone marrow transplant patients.

Conclusions:

  • Antifungal drug prophylaxis, specifically fluconazole, is a promising strategy for preventing Candida infections in high-risk populations.
  • Environmental controls are effective for airborne fungal pathogens like Aspergillus.
  • Further research into prophylaxis for opportunistic mycoses in immunocompromised patients is warranted.

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