Fungal infections

Abstract

Fungal infections are a significant problem and represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in a variety of patients. Improvements in supportive care and widespread use of antimicrobial agents have resulted in an expanding population of at-risk patients. This trend not only concerns severely compromised hosts such as transplant recipients, neutropenic and HIV-positive patients, but also non-compromised patients on surgical and medical intensive care units, burns and neonatal units with specific risk factors for infection. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.