Encyclopedia of Intensive Care Medicine

2012 Edition
| Editors: Jean-Louis Vincent, Jesse B. Hall

Mycosis, Opportunistic

Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00418-6_43
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Summary

Opportunistic fungi have a large impact in the intensive care environment. The increasing prevalence of fungal disease is largely a reflection of the tremendous advances in health-care technology. Central lines, invasive monitoring, immunosuppressive agents, the emergence of HIV, implanted prosthesis, immune modulators, renal replacement therapy, and glucocorticoids are just some of the many advancements that have increased the prevalence of nonendemic opportunistic fungi. The more common opportunistic fungi include Aspergillus spp., Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp., the zygomycetes, Fusarium spp., Scedosporium spp., and phaeohyphomycoses (Bipolaris, Exophiala, and Wangiella spp.). This entry reviews general principals of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, host defense, virulence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, prevention, and management of the opportunistic mycosis.

Epidemiology

Fungi are an integral part of our lives. For example, the bread and fermented beverages we enjoy are...

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Internal MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
  2. 2.Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseaseUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada