Candidaemia in patients with an inserted medical device.

The importance of medical devices as a source of infection has been increasingly appreciated. Candida spp. are responsible for a significantly increasing number of device-related infections, particularly those involving the bloodstream and urinary tract. A wide range of devices may be colonized by Candida spp., including central venous catheters, cardiac devices, and knee and hip prostheses. Medical device infections invariably require antifungal therapy and, in many cases, device removal, with associated hazards to some patients. Currently recommended treatments include amphotericin B formulations, azoles and echinocandins. The echinocandins, with efficacy against Candida biofilms, may have a role in the future in improved lock therapy for the treatment of device-associated candidal infections.