Unmet needs and practical solutions in the management of invasive mould infections in Asia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2022
Abstract
Management of invasive mould infections (IMIs) is challenging in Asia, as awareness among medical practitioners can be low and resources are limited. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment of IMIs can mitigate the impact on morbidity and mortality, but diagnostic methods, as well as access to preferred antifungal medications, may vary throughout the region. Knowledge of local epidemiology and accurate diagnosis and identification of causal pathogens would facilitate optimal treatment but data in Asia are lacking. To address these unmet needs in the management of IMIs, this paper is a call for urgent action in the following areas: improving awareness of the threat of IMIs; providing education to frontline clinicians across a broad range of specialties on `red flags' for suspicion of IMIs; prioritizing cost-effective rapid diagnostic testing; improving access to preferred antifungal medications; and closing the gaps in local epidemiological data on IMIs to inform local treatment guidelines.
Keywords
Critically-ill patients, Fungal-infections, Clinical characteristics, Pulmonary aspergillosis, Antifungal agents
Divisions
fac_med
Publication Title
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Volume
77
Issue
10
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publisher Location
GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND