Managing invasive fungal infections: Relying on clinical instincts or on a rational navigation system?

Abstract

The management of invasive fungal disease in the immunocompromised host is complex and requires the specialized knowledge of physicians whose primary interest is actually the underlying disease rather than infectious complications. This Supplement aims to provide these physicians with some tools that may help to guide them through the maze of suspicion that an invasive fungal disease is present by offering an integrated care pathway of rational patient management. Such pathways will inevitably vary in detail in different centres and depend for their success on the presence of multidisciplinary teams and an explicit agreement on at least the minimum requirements for effective management. The integrated care pathways presented constitute an objective instrument to allow regular audits for recognizing opportunities to change practice if and when weaknesses are identified. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.