[Invasive fungal infection in 3447 autopsy cases].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of invasive fungal infection at autopsy.


METHODS
To retrospectively analyse 3447 autopsy cases in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1953 to 1993.


RESULTS
There were 85 cases of invasive fungal infection at autopsy among 3447 cases. The prevalence steadily increased, especially during the recent 20 years. Among the 85 cases, only 5 patients were diagnosed clinically (5.9%). The primary diseases were mainly leukemia, cancer, and sepsis. Lung was involved in 70% of the cases, and 85% of the pathogens were fungi.


CONCLUSIONS
Fungus has become a major pathogen in nosocomial infection. The prophylactic use of antifungal agents is recommended in high-risk patients because of the difficulty to establish the clinical diagnosis of invasive fungal infection.
Du
B
B
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing.
Zhang
H
H
Chen
D
D
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies