The north and south of candidemia: Issues for Latin America.

Candidemia is a growing problem in tertiary care hospitals all over the world. It is generally difficult to diagnose, leads to prolonged hospitalization, has a mortality rate of around 50% and is a financial burden to healthcare systems. The different distribution profiles of Candida species underlying candidemia seen in Latin America, North America, Canada and Europe, along with the emergence of antifungal drug resistance, make it essential to optimize regional guidelines for treating hematogenous candidiasis. This article reviews the importance of candidemia epidemiology and diagnosis from region to region and highlights the antifungal agents currently available to clinicians, comparing antifungal susceptibility profiles that dominate therapeutic strategies for candidemia in specific high-risk populations. Copyright 2008 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.