A Randomized Study of a Short Duration Therapy for Candidemia

Scientific justification Candidemia is a major public health problem. In France, the 30-day mortality of candidemia varies from 30% to 50% depending on the need for intensive care and it has not decreased in 30 years. The duration of treatment for candidemia was set at a minimum of 14 days after the last positive blood culture following the Rex trial (1) comparing the efficacy of fluconazole vs amphotericin B where the minimum duration of treatment was imposed. The risk of a too short treatment is the absence of control of the candidemia with secondary dissemination, in particular cardiac and ophthalmic. A retrospective study looking at the risk of ophthalmologic complications after candidemia found among the 21/78 treated for less than 14 days, only one case of late endophthalmitis in a patient who had only been treated for 48 hours. In addition, the prolonged duration of antifungals exposes the risk of selection of more resistant strains with a modification of the flora, with the possibility of acquiring resistance as early as 8 days of treatment with caspofungin, and has a greater liver toxicity. There is no prospective study on the direct impact of antifungal agents (type of antifungal agent and duration) on the mycobiota.