What was this review about?
Over 5,000 cases of invasive Candida species infections occur in the United Kingdom each year, and around 40% of these cases occur in critical care units.
Invasive fungal disease (IFD) in critically ill patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality at a cost to both the individual and the National Health Service.
This review looked at multivariable analyses, risk prediction models and clinical decision rules to identify and summarise the important risk factors for IFD in critically ill adult patients.
The purpose of the review was to inform the primary data collection for the Fungal Infection Risk Evaluation Study.
What did the review find?
The review identified 13 eligible studies. Eight studies evaluated risk factors in a multivariable model, four studies developed a risk prediction model or clinical decision rule, and one study evaluated an existing clinical decision rule.
The review found a number of risk factors to be significantly associated with the development of IFD in critically ill adults.
Methodological limitations were identified in the design and conduct of studies in this area, and caution should be used in their interpretation.