Comparing ergosterol identification by HPLC with fungal serology in human sera.

Background: Ergosterol, a predominant sterol in fungal cell membranes, holds promise as a specific marker for detecting fungal presence in human samples. This study investigated the performance of ergosterol detection compared to serological tests in identifying the presence of fungi in human sera.

Methods: Eighty-four non-duplicate human sera were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for ergosterol detection.

Successful Treatment of Sternal Osteomyelitis and Mediastinitis Caused by Rhizopus Following Cardiac Surgery.

Sternal osteomyelitis and mediastinitis are rare yet severe complications post-cardiac surgery, often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Fungal etiologies, particularly those caused by spp., are infrequent but can lead to aggressive infections.

Antifungal susceptibility profile and biofilm-producing capability of Candida tropicalis isolates in a tertiary medical centre.

Background: Candida tropicalis is a globally distributed yeast that has been popping up in the medical literature lately, albeit for unenviable reasons. C. tropicalis is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality as well as drug resistance.

Isolation of an obscure fungus, Parengyodontium album, from the blood of a severely neutropenic patient: The first reported case from Malaysia.

Parengyodontium album is a very rarely encountered opportunistic fungal pathogen. A severely neutropenic 11-year-old boy with acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma was febrile and lethargic during his admission for elective chemotherapy. No cutaneous lesion or obvious source of infection was noted, and clinical examination was otherwise unremarkable.

'the real black fungus' fungemia in a patient with COVID-19.

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India had brought with it a surge of 'black fungus' co-infection, which is a misnomer for mucormycosis. The present case illustrates the 'real black fungus' infection in a 50-year old male patient with COVID-19 pneumonia, who otherwise had no significant previous medical history. He was admitted on day 8 of COVID-19 illness and was intubated due to persistently low oxygen saturation.

An approach to develop clinical prediction rule for candidemia in critically ill patients: A retrospective observational study.

Purpose: Early detection of candidemia in critically ill patients is important for preemptive antifungal treatment. Our study aimed to identify the independent risk factors for the development of a new candidemia prediction score.

Methods: This single-centre retrospective observational study evaluated 2479 intensive care unit (ICU) cases from January 2016 to December 2018.

In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum Clinical Isolates from Malaysia.

Neoscytalidium dimidiatum is an opportunistic fungus causing cutaneous infections mostly, which are difficult to treat due to antifungal resistance. In Malaysia, N. dimidiatum is associated with skin and nail infections, especially in the elderly.

In Vitro Antifungal Activities against Moulds Isolated from Dermatological Specimens.

Background: This study aimed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antifungal agents against moulds isolated from dermatological specimens.

Methods: We identified 29 moulds from dermatological specimens between October 2012 and March 2013 by conventional methods. We performed antifungal susceptibility testing on six antifungal agents, amphotericin B, clotrimazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole and terbinafine, according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines contained in the M38-A2 document.

Prevalence of albicans and non-albicans candiduria in a Malaysian medical centre.

Objective: To determine the proportion of albicans and non-albicans candiduria in a hospital setting and to ascertain if fluconazole is still suitable as empirical antifungal therapy based on antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida species.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2010 and December 2011 at UKM Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and comprised 64 urine samples from patients who were either suspected or confirmed to have urinary tract infections. Yeasts were speciated using ID 32 C and subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing using Sensititre® YeastOne YO8.

A systematic review of the outcomes of osteoporotic fracture patients after hospital discharge: morbidity, subsequent fractures, and mortality.

Purpose: Osteoporotic fracture is the main complication of osteoporosis. The current management is to discharge patients as early as possible so they can get back to their daily activities. Once discharged, there are three main issues relating to morbidity, mortality, and risk of a subsequent fracture that need to be addressed and discussed.

Paecilomyces lilacinus fungaemia in an AIDS patient: the importance of mycological diagnosis.

Fungaemia due to Paecilomyces lilacinus is generally not considered in AIDS patients because this condition is not categorised as an AIDS-indicator illness. We report a case of a 25-year-old lady who presented to our hospital with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, with the subsequent development of refractory fungaemia, multi-organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Amphotericin B was given as empirical antifungal therapy.