Microbiological Laboratory Testing in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in Pulmonary and Critical Care Practice

Publication Date: September 1, 2019

Key Points

Key Points

  • The rising prevalence of fungal infections is likely related to several factors, including an ever-growing population of susceptible patients.
  • Furthermore, endemic mycoses continue to pose a threat to both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals.
  • Recent advances in laboratory diagnostics have evolved to assist the diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infections.
  • These guidelines focus on the use of galactomannan (GM) antigen and PCR testing in the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), (1➝3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) assays or invasive candidiasis (IC), and the use of antigen and antibody testing in the diagnosis of endemic mycoses.

Diagnosis

Diagnos...

...Recommendations...

...vasive fungal dis...

...atients with severe immune compromise, su...

...n patients suspected of invasive fun...

...pulmonary aspergillosis...

...atients with severe immune compromise, such...

...tients with severe immune compromise, such as...

...s with severe immune compromise, s...

...ndidiasis...

...tically ill patients in whom there is clinical...

...stoplasmos...

...e ATS recommends the use of Histoplas...

...e ATS suggests the use of Histoplasma serol...

...tomycosis...

...ents with appropriate geographic exposur...

...suspected blastomycosis, the ATS suggests that...

In patients with suspected blastomycosis, pa...

...idioidomycosi...

...ients with appropriate geographic exposure and ill...

...patients with suspected coccidioidomycosis,...

...h suspected community acquired pneumonia (CAP)...