ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the impact of candidemia, including its spectrum of disease, the notable shift in epidemiology, resistance trends, morbidity and mortality costs, identifiable risk factors, diagnosis and susceptibility testing, and treatment options and focuses on the emergence of more resistant Candida species, particularly C. glabrata. Fungal infections first became recognized as an important cause of human disease in the 1980s, particularly among immunocompromised patients. Candida species are ubiquitous yeast found not only in the environment, but as a normal colonizer of human skin and gastrointestinal tracts. Patients with candidemia have 10 to 30 day excess lengths of hospital stay compared to age-, sex-, and diagnosis-related group-matched controls. Among Candida species, C. glabrata has become recognized as an emerging infection not only because of its increasing incidence, but also because it is often associated with antifungal resistance. The possible association between fluconazole and the emergence C. glabrata has been mentioned in the literature.
