Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a collective name given to a group of more than 190 species of Mycobacterium. The clinical presentation for most NTM infections is non-specific, often resulting in delayed diagnosis. Further complicating matters is that NTM organisms can be difficult to isolate. Medications used to treat NTM infection can be difficult for patients to tolerate, and prolonged courses of anti-mycobacterial therapy are often required for adequate suppression or eradication. Herein, we review different NTM syndromes, appropriate diagnostic tests, and treatment regimens.

Background: The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing in immune-competent and immune-compromised patients. An examination of the recent literature related to the treatment of fungal infections was performed to address two clinical questions. First, in patients with proven or probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, should combination therapy with a mold-active triazole plus echinocandin be administered versus mold-active triazole monotherapy? Second, in critically ill patients at risk for invasive candidiasis who are nonneutropenic and are not transplant recipients, should systemic antifungal agents be administered either as prophylaxis or as empiric therapy? Methods: A multidisciplinary panel reviewed the available data concerning the two questions. The evidence was evaluated, and recommendations were generated using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. Results: A conditional recommendation was made for patients with proven or probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis to receive either initial combination therapy with a mold-active triazole plus an echinocandin or initial mold-active triazole monotherapy, based on low-quality evidence. Furthermore, a conditional weak recommendation was made against routine administration of prophylactic or empiric antifungal agents targeting Candida species for critically ill patients without neutropenia or a history of transplant, based on low-quality evidence. Conclusions: The recommendations presented in these guidelines are the result of an analysis of currently available evidence. Additional research and new clinical data will prompt an update in the future.

Fungal infections are increasingly encountered in clinical practice due to more favorable environmental conditions and increasing prevalence of immunocompromised individuals. The diagnostic approac...