Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.7
4.2
Journals
JoF
Special Issues
Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine
share announcement

Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3149

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ayman O. Soubani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
Interests: pulmonary aspergillosis; critical care medicine; lung cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in the diagnosis and management of a variety of conditions coupled with improvements in the care of critically ill patients have revealed new challenges. One of these challenges is the increased significance of fungal infections in critically ill patients. These include emerging risk factors, such as patients with respiratory viral illnesses, patients taking immunosuppressants or undergoing immunomodulatory treatments, and those with chronic illnesses such as COPD and liver disease. Fungal infections in critically ill patients include candida, aspergillus, PJP, mucor, and endemic fungi. Significant advances in the diagnosis and management of fungal infections correspond to these risk factors. However, there are obstacles to using antifungal agents in critically ill patients due to organ dysfunction, adverse effects, drug interactions, and resistance.

Clinicians and researchers are encouraged to submit papers related to fungal infections in critically ill patients with a focus on the following topics:

  • The spectrum of fungal infections (in general or specific fungi);
  • The risk factors of fungal infections;
  • The challenges in the diagnosis of fungal infections;
  • Antifungal therapy—including its effectiveness, drug–drug interactions, adverse reactions, drug resistance, and newer agents;
  • The outcomes of fungal infections;
  • Future directions.

Prof. Dr. Ayman O. Soubani
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungal infections
  • critically ill
  • ICU
  • Candida spp.
  • Aspergillus spp.
  • PJP
  • Mucor spp.
  • antifungal therapy
  • antifungal resistance
  • new antifungal agents

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 466 KiB  
Article
Epidemiology and Inpatient Outcomes of Invasive Aspergillosis in Patients with Liver Failure and Cirrhosis
by Aditya Sharma, Bashar Mohamad and Ayman O. Soubani
J. Fungi 2025, 11(5), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11050334 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 173
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and inpatient outcomes of liver failure and cirrhosis (LFC) admissions with invasive aspergillosis (IA) in the United States. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the 2016–2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to [...] Read more.
Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and inpatient outcomes of liver failure and cirrhosis (LFC) admissions with invasive aspergillosis (IA) in the United States. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the 2016–2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to analyze outcomes of IA in LFC admissions. Baseline variables, including demographics, comorbidities, and complications, were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes, and liver transplant admissions were excluded. Outcomes were compared between LFC admissions with and without IA. Results: During the study period, 9515 (0.36%) LFC admissions were associated with IA. This cohort experienced significantly higher rates of complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI) (73.36% vs. 42.96%; p < 0.001) and acute respiratory failure (ARF) (65.74% vs. 24.85%; p < 0.001). IA admissions required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) more frequently (58.17% vs. 18.78%; p < 0.001). All-cause inpatient mortality was significantly higher in the aspergillosis group (43.40% vs. 15.75%; p < 0.001). IA admissions had longer lengths of stay (LOS), with 38.89% exceeding 21 days compared to 6.20% (p < 0.001), and a mean LOS more than three times longer (22.9 vs. 7.5 days; p < 0.001). The IA group incurred over four times higher hospital charges (USD 459,414.9 vs. USD 104,389.4; p < 0.001) and hospitalization costs (USD 108,030.6 vs. USD 24,272.1; p < 0.001) compared to the LFC without aspergillosis group. Interpretation: LFC admissions with IA experienced poorer outcomes, longer hospital stays, and significantly higher healthcare costs, underscoring the need for targeted interventions in this high-risk, nonclassical population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 662 KiB  
Article
Candida albicans Horizontal Transmission in COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit
by Magdalena Skóra, Katharina Rosam, Magdalena Namysł, Anna Sepioło, Mateusz Gajda, Justyna Jędras, Paweł Krzyściak, Joanna Zorska, Jerzy Wordliczek, Piotr B. Heczko, Reinhard Würzner, Michaela Lackner and Jadwiga Wójkowska-Mach
J. Fungi 2024, 10(12), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10120864 - 13 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1115
Abstract
Background: Invasive candidiasis is a predominant mycosis in hospitalized patients, and Candida albicans is the species most often responsible for this infection. Most candidiasis cases originate from endogenous mycobiota; therefore, Candida strains can easily be transferred among hospital patients and personnel. The aim [...] Read more.
Background: Invasive candidiasis is a predominant mycosis in hospitalized patients, and Candida albicans is the species most often responsible for this infection. Most candidiasis cases originate from endogenous mycobiota; therefore, Candida strains can easily be transferred among hospital patients and personnel. The aim of this study was to assess the possible horizontal transmission of C. albicans in patients with severe COVID-19 infection requiring hospitalization in the intensive care unit. Methods: In total, 59 C. albicans strains from 36 patients were collected from blood and lower-respiratory samples. The strains were genotyped using the RAPD method with the OPA-18 primer (5′-AGCTGACCGT-3′). Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed for amphotericin B (AMB), fluconazole (FCZ), voriconazole (VCZ), and anidulafungin (ANF) using the EUCAST method. Results: C. albicans strains were separated into 13 different groups according to their RAPD pattern. Two predominant clonal clusters of 17 strains isolated from 12 patients and 12 strains from 7 patients were identified, followed by clusters with 6, 4, and 8 strains isolated from 5, 4, and 3 patients, respectively. C. albicans strains were sensitive to AMB, FCZ, VCZ, and ANF, and antifungal susceptibility profiles were similar in all genetic clusters. Conclusions: Our study indicates that C. albicans strains can spread horizontally. The routes of transmission for strains in the ward have not been explained due to there being insufficient data. The transmission could have been caused by the unintentional spread of pathogens by medical personnel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 368 KiB  
Review
Invasive Candidiasis in the Intensive Care Unit: Where Are We Now?
by Jose A. Vazquez, Lissette Whitaker and Ana Zubovskaia
J. Fungi 2025, 11(4), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11040258 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) are not uncommon and most cases are caused by Candida species, specifically Candida albicans. However, recently, there has been an increase in non-albicans Candida spp. (C. glabrata; C. parapsilosis) causing [...] Read more.
Invasive fungal infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) are not uncommon and most cases are caused by Candida species, specifically Candida albicans. However, recently, there has been an increase in non-albicans Candida spp. (C. glabrata; C. parapsilosis) causing invasive fungal infections. This has led to an increasing awareness of this infection due to the increase in documented antifungal resistance in many of these Candida species. In addition, manifestations of invasive candidiasis are often non-specific, and the diagnosis remains extremely challenging. Unfortunately, delays in antifungal therapy continue to hamper the morbidity; length of stay; and the mortality of these infections. Although the echinocandins are the drugs of choice in these infections, antifungal resistance among the non-albicans species (C. glabrata; C. krusei; C. auris; C. parapsilosis) is being observed more frequently. This has led to an increase in morbidity and mortality, specifically in critically ill patients. Overall, the diagnosis and management of invasive candidiasis in the ICU remain challenging. It is imperative that the critical care physician keeps this infection at the forefront of their differential diagnosis in order to decrease the mortality rate of these individuals. In this review, we discuss the current epidemiologic trends, diagnosis, and management of invasive candidiasis in the intensive care unit setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine)
22 pages, 1761 KiB  
Review
Invasive Aspergillosis in the Intensive Care Unit
by Anna Zubovskaia and Jose A. Vazquez
J. Fungi 2025, 11(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11010070 - 17 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1201
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a fungal infection, which has traditionally been associated with neutropenia and immunosuppressive therapies. Our understanding of invasive aspergillosis has been evolving and, in the past few decades, IA among ICU patients has been recognized as a common infection and [...] Read more.
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a fungal infection, which has traditionally been associated with neutropenia and immunosuppressive therapies. Our understanding of invasive aspergillosis has been evolving and, in the past few decades, IA among ICU patients has been recognized as a common infection and has become more widely recognized. The diagnosis and management of invasive aspergillosis in the ICU is particularly challenging, due to the unstable clinical condition of the patients, lack of diagnostic markers, increased risk of further clinical deterioration, multiple comorbidities, and a need for early assessment and treatment. In this article, we will discuss the challenges and pitfalls of the diagnosis and management of invasive aspergillosis in an ICU setting, along with a review of the current literature that is pertinent and specific to this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Medicine)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop