Serum 1,3-β-D-Glucan Levels Predict Intra-abdominal Candidiasis

Among 89 ICU patients with abdominal surgery or pancreatitis, 1,3-β-D-glucan levels ≥80 pg/mL predicted intra-abdominal candidiasis and did so a median of 5 days before culture positivity.

Invasive candidiasis is an increasing problem among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), particularly those who have undergone abdominal surgery or have pancreatitis. Diagnosis can be difficult because blood cultures are frequently negative. This problem has led to an interest in the use of non–culture-based laboratory methods. One such method is measurement of serum 1,3-β-d-glucan (BG), a polysaccharide cell-wall component of many fungi, including Candida.

To assess the accuracy of BG in diagnosing intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC), investigators in Switzerland studied 89 patients with abdominal surgery or pancreatitis who had been hospitalized in ICUs for ≥72 hours and were at high risk for IAC.

Fifty-eight (65%) of the patients were …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

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Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Serum 1,3-β-D-Glucan Levels Predict Intra-abdominal Candidiasis

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Reviewing Author