Fungal Sepsis in Surgical Patients

Records of 65 surgical patients with positive fungal blood cultures were reviewed to address risk, overall mortality, and treatment. Negative urine cultures did not rule out sepsis. Staphylococcus epidermidis sepsis was present in 27 (42%) of the patients, in 70% of whom it occured before or during fungemia. Increased mortality correlated with the use of multiple antibiotics, antibiotic use for prolonged periods, and with associated bacterial sepsis. Stopping antibiotic therapy did not reduce mortality. Amphotericin B reduced mortality in patients with dissemination, indicating that it is the treatment of choice for disseminated fungemia and that antibiotic therapy should not be discontinued when concomitant bacterial sepsis is present.