Neonatal fungal infections: the state of the art

J Chemother. 2007 Oct:19 Suppl 2:42-5. doi: 10.1080/1120009x.2007.11782444.

Abstract

Candida spp is the 3rd most frequent cause of sepsis in preterm infants, with high attributable mortality and poor outcome. Neonatal fugal infections include bloodstream, urine, cerebrospinal and peritoneal infections. Preterm infants display specific, often unavoidable, risk factors for SFI, with fungal colonization being the most significant one. Prompt treatment does not prevent poor long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Thus, prevention is the milestone, and should mainly rely on the administration of targeted prophylactic fluconazole to high-risk infants, as recently demonstrated by a large Italian multicenter study. As prevention is key in pediatrics, finally we can deliver this to this vulnerable population.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Birth Weight
  • Candidiasis / diagnosis
  • Candidiasis / drug therapy*
  • Candidiasis / prevention & control*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Fluconazole / therapeutic use*
  • Fungemia / drug therapy
  • Fungemia / microbiology
  • Fungemia / prevention & control
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Risk Factors
  • Sepsis / drug therapy*
  • Sepsis / microbiology
  • Sepsis / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Fluconazole