Review
Infectious Diseases
Anna Maria Tortorano, Anna Prigitano, Gianluca Morroni, Lucia Brescini, Francesco Barchiesi
Summary: Candidemia and invasive candidiasis are common and have high mortality rates, with treatment needing to consider various factors. Antifungal resistance is relatively rare, but new resistant strains have emerged. Treatment options should be tailored based on individual cases and durations.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kai-Manuel Adam, Michael Osthoff, Frederic Lamoth, Anna Conen, Veronique Erard, Katia Boggian, Peter W. Schreiber, Stefan Zimmerli, Pierre-Yves Bochud, Dionysios Neofytos, Mapi Fleury, Hans Fankhauser, Daniel Goldenberger, Konrad Muhlethaler, Arnaud Riat, Reinhard Zbinden, Andreas Kronenberg, Chantal Quiblier, Oscar Marchetti, Nina Khanna
Summary: The incidence of candidemia has been increasing over the 15-year study period, with a recent shift towards Candida glabrata and increased consumption of mold-active triazoles observed.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Cynthia Ortiz-Roa, Martha Carolina Valderrama-Rios, Sebastian Felipe Sierra-Umana, Jose Yesid Rodriguez, Gerardo Antonio Muneton-Lopez, Carlos Augusto Solorzano-Ramos, Patricia Escandon, Carlos Arturo Alvarez-Moreno, Jorge Alberto Cortes
Summary: Candida auris infection is associated with lower mortality in adult patients with candidemia compared to other Candida species, and it does not affect the length of hospital stay in surviving patients.
Review
Microbiology
Smaranda Ioana Codreanu, Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea
Summary: Blood culture is the standard procedure for detecting candidemia, but it takes 3-5 days for a positive result. Molecular diagnosis techniques offer faster results compared to culture. This paper summarizes the main strengths and limitations of current molecular techniques for Candida spp. DNA extraction, evaluating their efficiency in terms of time, cost, and ease of use. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed articles published before October 2022 was conducted using the PubMed NIH database. The studies provided sufficient data on diagnosing Candida spp. infection.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jessica Seidelman, Molly Fleece, Allison Bloom, Emily Lydon, Wesley Yang, Christopher Arnold, David J. Weber, Nwora Lance Okeke
Summary: Through multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that the main risk factors for developing endogenous Candida endophthalmitis in candidemic patients include the presence of a central venous catheter, intravenous drug use, immunosuppression, total parenteral nutrition recipient, race, age, and Candida albicans infection. Clinicians should develop targeted and cost-effective screening strategies based on these risk factors.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jeremy A. W. Gold, Emma E. Seagle, Joelle Nadle, Devra M. Barter, Christopher A. Czaja, Helen Johnston, Monica M. Farley, Stepy Thomas, Lee H. Harrison, Jill Fischer, Brittany Pattee, Rajal K. Mody, Erin C. Phipps, Sarah Shrum Davis, Brenda L. Tesini, Alexia Y. Zhang, Tiffanie M. Markus, William Schaffner, Shawn R. Lockhart, Snigdha Vallabhaneni, Brendan R. Jackson, Meghan Lyman
Summary: The study found that a considerable proportion of patients with candidemia were initially treated with fluconazole, which may not be appropriate for cases involving non-albicans or fluconazole-resistant species. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the reasons for nonadherence to treatment guidelines and provide clinician education.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Karri A. A. Bauer, Kalvin Yu, Pamela A. A. Moise, Lyn Finelli, ChinEn Ai, Janet Watts, Gang Ye, Vikas Gupta
Summary: This study compares the prevalence and outcomes of candidemia in COVID-19 patients based on SARS-CoV-2 status and pandemic waves. It found a higher rate of candidemia in COVID-19 patients and the magnitude of the rate may differ based on the circulating variant.
Article
Dermatology
Natalia Vicente Lopez, Jorge Calderon Parra, Alejandro Munoz Serrano, Andrea Gutierrez Villanueva, Sara de la Fuente Moral, Victor Moreno-Torres, Elena Munez Rubio, Antonio Ramos Martinez
Summary: This study evaluated the adherence to clinical management recommendations for candidemia in elderly patients, and found an improvement in adherence after specific training. In the second period, there was better compliance in various aspects including echocardiogram performance, fundoscopy, follow-up blood cultures, removal of central venous catheter, and adequate antifungal treatment. The real impact of this intervention on mortality needs to be evaluated with a larger sample size.
Article
Immunology
Samuel P. Simon, Rosanna Li, Michael Silver, Justin Andrade, Biju Tharian, Lung Fu, Diana Villanueva, Daniel Gonzalez Abascal, Ariel Mayer, James Truong, Nilka Figueroa, Monica Ghitan, Edward Chapnick, Yu Shia Lin
Summary: This study compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with bloodstream infections caused by Candida auris and those caused by other Candida spp. The study found that patients with C. auris candidemia did not have a higher mortality risk compared to those with candidemia caused by other Candida spp., but they had a higher risk of microbiologic recurrence within 60 days after completion of antifungal therapy.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jose Julio Costa Sidrim, Gerlane Luziana de Maria, Manoel de Araujo Neto Paiva, Gessica dos Santos Araujo, Renan Vasconcelos da Graca-Filho, Jonathas Sales de Oliveira, Jamille Alencar Sales, Waldemiro Aquino Pereira-Neto, Glaucia Morgana de Melo Guedes, Debora de Souza Collares Maia Castelo-Branco, Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro, Raimunda Samia Nogueira Brilhante, Marcos Fabio Gadelha Rocha
Summary: This study revealed that non-wild type and azole-resilient biofilm-producing Candida species can colonize agricultural soils treated with azole fungicides. These species exhibit strong biofilm-forming abilities.
Article
Microbiology
Suresh Ambati, Tuyetnhu Pham, Zachary A. Lewis, Xiaorong Li, Richard B. Meagher
Summary: This study found that targeting antifungal drugs to fungal glycans can improve drug efficacy and reduce drug dosage, which is of great significance for various invasive fungal infections.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Jesus E. Escamilla, Spenser E. January, Rodrigo Vazquez Guillamet
Summary: Fungal infections in lung transplant patients are a significant cause of morbidity, leading to allograft damage and chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent further damage. This review article discusses the incidence, risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment strategies for various fungal infections in lung transplant recipients, including Aspergillus, Candida, Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Scedosporium/Lomentospora, Fusarium, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. The use of newer triazole and inhaled antifungals for isolated pulmonary fungal infections in lung transplant recipients is also explored.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gina P. Rodriguez-Castano, Frank Rosenau, Ludger Staendker, Carolina Firacative
Summary: Expanding the antifungal drug arsenal is crucial for treating Candida infections, which are increasing in prevalence and often resistant to existing treatments. This review provides a comprehensive summary of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with anti-Candida activity that have undergone successful preclinical or clinical trials. The source, mode of action, and animal model of infection or clinical trial for these AMPs are presented. The advantages of combination therapy using AMPs and other drugs to fight Candida infections are also discussed.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna Dudakova, Claudia Blei, Uwe Gross, Marco H. Schulze
Summary: This study analyzes the impact of bedside antifungal stewardship (AFS) on clinical management and prognosis of patients with candidemia at a university hospital in Germany. The results show that bedside AFS significantly improves adherence to recommendations for antifungal treatment and follow-up in patients with Candida fungemia. However, improving the prognosis of patients with candidemia remains a huge challenge.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Aline El Zakhem, Rozana El Eid, Rachid Istambouli, Hani Tamim, Souha S. Kanj
Summary: This study investigated the utility of the EQUAL Candida score in predicting mortality in patients with candidemia. The results showed that a higher EQUAL score was able to predict a lower case-fatality rate in patients with a central venous catheter.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Lisa Martin, Stuart Andrews, Suzanne Rea, Fiona Wood
Summary: This study developed a booklet that promotes posttraumatic growth after burn by integrating changes in world-view. The booklet includes information on acceptance, belief in the self, compassion, determination and planning, emotional management, and family/friend support. It combines patient stories and professional advice to positively reframe perspectives and motivate patients towards better psychological recovery after burn.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Amira Allahham, Matthew N. Cooper, Mark W. Fear, Lisa Martin, Fiona M. Wood
Summary: This retrospective cohort study investigates the quality of life outcomes in pediatric patients with non-severe burns in Western Australia. The results show that about 16% of children had critically low quality of life scores at three months after the burn, and these scores were influenced by age, socioeconomic status, and burn cause.
Review
Critical Care Medicine
Emily Zhen, Dylan Misso, Suzanne Rea, Shyan Vijayasekaran, Mark Fear, Fiona Wood
Summary: Long-term laryngotracheal complications (LTLC) after inhalation injury (II) are often overlooked in burn patients. This study aimed to review and fill the knowledge gap on these complications. The review found that LTLC commonly occur in the trachea, glottis, and subglottis. Risk factors such as high-grade II, elevated inflammatory responses, prolonged intubation, and history of tracheostomy are associated with LTLC.
JOURNAL OF BURN CARE & RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Treya M. Long, Tanesha A. Dimanopoulos, Victoria M. Shoesmith, Mark Fear, Fiona M. Wood, Lisa Martin
Summary: The purpose of this study was to characterize grip strength in children with non-severe burn injury and understand the impact of demographic and clinical variables on musculoskeletal recovery. Retrospective analysis of clinical data was conducted, and standardized protocols were used to measure grip strength. The results showed that children who were right-hand dominant and assessed closer to the time of injury or burnt at a young age had lower grip strength values compared to norms. Grip strength did not seem to be influenced by other clinical variables or burn injury characteristics.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Amira Allahham, Matthew N. Cooper, Enrique Mergelsberg, Mark W. Fear, Lisa J. Martin, Fiona M. Wood
Summary: This study investigated the quality of life assessment of pediatric patients with non-severe burns and found that parents scored lower on psychosocial function for younger and higher socioeconomic status patients compared to their children. Additionally, it was found that there was a significant difference between female patients and their parents' scores in the early recovery cohort, and parents rated older patients lower than themselves in the late recovery cohort. Therefore, age, socioeconomic status, and gender may contribute to the discrepancy in quality-of-life assessments between parents and patients.
Review
Critical Care Medicine
Fiona M. Wood
Summary: Skin tissue engineering solutions have advanced over the past few decades with emphasis on repairing both epithelial and dermal layers. Cells that can differentiate into the appropriate phenotype are crucial for skin restoration. Cell-based therapies were developed to address the need for skin repair when traditional techniques were inadequate, including cultured epithelial autografts and laboratory-based skin substitutes. The availability of cell-based therapies has been improved through the use of allograft cell-based solutions and point-of-care skin cell harvesting. Recently, pluripotential cells have been explored as a readily available source of cells with a wide range of phenotypes. Lessons from cell-based techniques have also led to the exploration of 3D printing technology for precise placement and tissue generation optimization.
JOURNAL OF BURN CARE & RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Faraz Chogan, Yufei Chen, Fiona Wood, Marc G. Jeschke
Summary: Burn injuries are a severe form of skin damage that can cause scarring and other complications. Around 11 million people globally are affected by burn injuries each year, resulting in 180,000 deaths. The surgical treatment for burn wounds involves removing dead tissue and using autologous skin substitutes or grafts to cover the wounds. However, in cases of extensive burns with limited donor sites, alternative options like allografts or dermal analogs are used until permanent coverage can be achieved. This special volume of JBCR explores the advancements in tissue-engineered skin substitutes for burn injuries, focusing on past, present, and future perspectives.
JOURNAL OF BURN CARE & RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Alix Woolard, Nicole Wickens, Lisa McGivern, Patricia de Gouveia Belinelo, Lisa Martin, Fiona Wood, Elmie Janse van Rensburg, Helen Milroy
Summary: The study aimed to understand the psychosocial impact of pediatric burn injuries as perceived by the patients. Through interviews with seven pediatric burn patients, three themes were identified: the impact on appearance, family, and lifestyle; the positive and negative effects on mental health; and the factors supporting recovery. The participants provided suggestions for improving psychosocial well-being.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
David G. Greenhalgh, David M. Hill, David M. Burmeister, Eduardo I. Gus, Heather Cleland, Alex Padiglione, Dane Holden, Fredrik Huss, Michelle S. Chew, John C. Kubasiak, Aidan Burrell, William Manzanares, Maria Chacon Gomez, Yuya Yoshimura, Folke Sjoberg, Wei-Guo Xie, Paula Egipto, Athina Lavrentieva, Arpana Jain, Ariel Miranda-Altamirano, Ed Raby, Ignacio Aramendi, Soman Sen, Kevin K. Chung, Renata Jennifer Quintana Alvarez, Chunmao Han, Asako Matsushima, Moustafa Elmasry, Yan Liu, Carlos Segovia Donoso, Alberto Bolgiani, Laura S. Johnson, Luiz Philipe Molina Vana, Rosario Valdez Duval de Romero, Nikki Allorto, Gerald Abesamis, Virginia Nunez Luna, Alfredo Gragnani, Carolina Bonilla Gonzalez, Hugo Basilico, Fiona Wood, James Jeng, Andrew Li, Mervyn Singer, Gaoxing Luo, Tina Palmieri, Steven Kahn, Victor Joe, Robert Cartotto
Summary: The International Society for Burn Injuries and Surviving Sepsis Campaign have collaborated to develop the Surviving Sepsis After Burn Campaign guidelines with the goal of improving outcomes for sepsis in burn patients.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jon Salmanton-Garcia, Wing-Yan Au, Martin Hoenigl, Louis Yi Ann Chai, Hamid Badali, Ariful Basher, Ronja A. Brockhoff, Sharon C. -A. Chen, Ariya Chindamporn, Anuradha Chowdhary, Christopher H. Heath, Kausar Jabeen, Jaehyeon Lee, Madonna Matar, Saad Jaber Taj-Aldeen, Ban Hock Tan, Kenji Uno, Retno Wahyuningsih, Liping Zhu, Arunaloke Chakrabarti, Oliver A. Cornely
Summary: Invasive fungal infections pose a significant threat to patients in Asia/Pacific with malignancies, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, undiagnosed/untreated HIV/AIDS. Adequate access to diagnostic tools and antifungals is essential for IFI management and patient survival.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Monique J. Ryan, Alanah Grant-St James, Nathan G. Lawler, Mark W. Fear, Edward Raby, Fiona M. Wood, Garth L. Maker, Julien Wist, Elaine Holmes, Jeremy K. Nicholson, Luke Whiley, Nicola Gray
Summary: This study presents an optimized comprehensive targeted workflow for plasma and serum lipid quantification, which combines stable isotope internal standard dilution, automated sample preparation, and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with rapid polarity switching. The method is robust to common sources of analytical variation and is suitable for large-scale, multibatch applications in precision medicine.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zehra Palejwala, Karen. E. W. Wallman, Shane M. Maloney, Grant. J. Landers, Ullrich K. H. Ecker, Mark. W. Fear, Fiona. M. Wood
Summary: Raising the ambient temperature in the operating theatre during burn surgeries did not significantly affect the staff's manual dexterity or cognitive function. However, it did result in heat strain and increased subjective workload, discomfort, perceived exertion, and fatigue. Cognitive function and manual dexterity were maintained in hot conditions, suggesting that operating in approximately 31 degrees C heat is safe for patient treatment. However, the impact of cumulative fatigue on the mental health of surgery staff and the risk of job burnout must be considered in supporting a healthy workforce.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Shio Yen Tio, Sharon C. -A. Chen, Kate Hamilton, Christopher H. Heath, Alyssa Pradhan, Arthur J. Morris, Tony M. Korman, Orla Morrissey, Catriona L. Halliday, Sarah Kidd, Timothy Spelman, Nadiya Brell, Brendan McMullan, Julia E. Clark, Katerina Mitsakos, Robyn P. Hardiman, Phoebe Williams, Anita J. Campbell, Justin Beardsley, Sebastiaan Van Hal, Michelle K. Yong, Leon J. Worth, Monica A. Slavin
Summary: This retrospective study analyzed the epidemiology and outcomes of invasive aspergillosis in adult patients from 10 tertiary centers in Australasia. The study found associations between the disease and hematologic malignancies, intensive care unit admission, and infections caused by non-Aspergillus fumigatus species complex. It suggests accurate species identification and susceptibility testing for optimal patient outcomes.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Christopher J. Lewis, Helen Douglas, Lisa Martin, Zhenjun Deng, Phillip Melton, Mark W. Fear, Fiona M. Wood, Suzanne Rea
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser (AFCO2L) on patient-reported outcomes, scar appearance, dermal architecture, and gene transcription in early burn scars. Fifteen adult patients with burn-related scars were included in the study and received three AFCO2L treatments. The results showed that AFCO2L treatment significantly improved scar thickness and texture, and the treated scars were rated better than control scars. RNA sequencing analysis revealed sustained changes in fibroblast gene expression for at least 3 months after laser treatment.
JOURNAL OF PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE AND AESTHETIC SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Eileen R. Wallace, Zhilian Yue, Mirella Dottori, Fiona M. Wood, Mark Fear, Gordon G. Wallace, Stephen Beirne
Summary: In the field of clinical care for full-thickness cutaneous wounds, significant progress has been made in improving aesthetic and functional outcomes over the past decade. Advances in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting and biomaterials have the potential to revolutionize point of care wound treatment. However, current bioprinting strategies for wound healing involve challenges such as lengthy in-vitro cell culture and lack of credible point of care delivery protocols. In-situ bioprinting offers an alternative strategy to overcome these challenges and transform wound care treatment.
PROGRESS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)