Invasive Fungal Infections: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prophylaxis–Applying Principles of the 2009 IDSA Guidelines to Clinical Practice
Strategies for Healthcare Professionals

Featuring Keynote Presentation: H1N1: Critical Issue in the Management of Immunocompromised Patients

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Although ever-improving antifungal agents are available, the diagnosis, treatment, and, most importantly, prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections are ongoing challenges in many different patient populations. In this program, the application to clinical practice of the 2009 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for candidiasis and the 2008 IDSA guidelines for aspergillosis will be investigated. Case presentations will be used to highlight management of invasive fungal infections in neonatal and pediatric populations, in patients with compromised immune function due to organ transplantation and immunosuppression, cancer, or HIV infection and in patients in intensive care units. The keynote presentation will address current thinking and practices surrounding H1N1 infection, which may also become a critical issue in the management of these patient populations.

INTENDED AUDIENCE
This activity is designed for infectious disease specialists, hematologists, oncologists, transplant surgeons, nephrologists, pediatricians, primary care providers, physician assistants, and nurse practitioner specialists actively treating patients with fungal infections.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After taking part in this activity, participants should be able to:
  1. Identify patient strategies to predict likely candidates for fungal infections
  2. Review the current national guidelines for the management of fungal infections, highlighting the recently released 2009 IDSA guidelines
  3. Review the role of current therapies including individual agents' spectrum of coverage and dosing, and the role of broad-spectrum agents to treat yeast and mold infections
  4. Discuss the emerging role of triazoles and echinocandins as empiric therapy for adult and pediatric patient populations
  5. Discuss the pharmacoeconomic benefits of early empiric therapy in reducing mortality, morbidity, and costs for health care systems
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
  • Value of Prospective Epidemiologic Surveys: Clinical Trials, Surveillance, and Disease Burden
  • The Changing Epidemiology of Candidiasis and Other Fungal Infections
  • Invasive Fungal Infections: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prophylaxis–Applying Principles of the 2009 IDSA Guidelines to Clinical Practice