Clinical Significance of Smear or Culture Positive for Candida Spp. From Sputum Three Times a Week

The definition of pulmonary candidiasis is still unclear.In China, isolation of candida spp. form sputum twice or three times a week has been regarded as the microbiological evidence of pulmonary candidiasis. The investigators hypothesize that patients who present respiratory symptoms and lung infiltrates together with smear of culture positive for candida spp. from sputum three times a week can not be diagnosed as pulmonary candidiasis.