Unveiling the Fungal Frontier: Characterizing Diversity and Antifungal Resistance in Immunocompromised ICU Patients With Respiratory Tract Infections

New Valley University1 site in 1 country250 target enrollmentStarted: December 1, 2025Last updated: July 30, 2026

Conditions

Interventions

Trial Snapshot

Phase: Not Applicable
Status: Recruiting
Sponsor: New Valley University
Enrollment: 250
Locations: 1
Primary Endpoint: Number of fungal species causing pneumonia in immunocompromised ICU patients

Study Overview Study Design Eligibility Criteria Arms & Interventions Outcomes Investigators Sites Records & Identifiers Similar Trials

Study Overview

Brief Summary

Immunocompromised individuals face a heightened risk of life-threatening fungal infections, which arise from a multitude of environmental and commensal fungi. Surveillance data from ICUs worldwide identifies Candida spp. as the dominant foe, responsible for 80% of such infections, earning it the dubious distinction of being the third most prevalent pathogen. While C. albicans holds the dubious crown as the most common Candida offender, recent years have witnessed a concerning trend toward non-Albicans candida, raising concerns about potential antifungal resistance.

Detailed Description

For critically ill patients in the ICU, the threat of invasive fungal infections is a hidden danger, particularly in the presence of any of the following opportunistic factors:

(A) Pre-existing lung disease: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) , Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or Sarcoidosis.

(B) Patient comorbidities:

Immunosuppression: Neutropenia, Corticosteroid therapy, Immunosuppressive medication for inflammatory or autoimmune diseases; T-cell suppressants: Antithymocyte globulin (ATG), Calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., tacrolimus, cyclosporine) or B-cell suppressants: Rituximab, Severe sepsis (immune paralysis): Inherited severe immunodeficiency: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), and Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) or Acquired immunodeficiency due to HIV/AIDS.
Underlying medical conditions: Liver failure, Diabetes mellitus, or cardiovascular disease.
Viral Pneumonia: Influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Hematological and solid malignancies.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Prior fungal exposure: Aspergillus colonization before or during ICU admission .

(C) Environmental factors: Construction work, Geo-climatic factors, Tobacco or cannabis use, Air, food, or spice contamination, Gardening activity or occupation.

Study Design

Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: Na
Intervention Model: Single Group
Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
Masking: None

Eligibility Criteria

Ages: 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
Sex: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Inclusion Criteria

•All adult patients (aged >18 years old) admitted to the Assiut University Hospital's intensive care units with pneumonia and hospitalized patients who developed hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated pneumonia who don't respond to antibiotics for 48 hours or with a CT finding suspected for fungal pneumonia.
•Patients included must have at least one of the following conditions as a contributor to immunocompromise:
•Pre-existing lung disease: IPF, COPD, or sarcoidosis.
•Immunosuppression: Neutropenia, on corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs, inherited or acquired immunodeficiency.
•Underlying comorbidities: (Diabetes Mellitus,Chronic kidney disease, Liver cirrhosis)
•Malignancy (Hematological or solid)

Exclusion Criteria

•Patients refused to contribute to the study.
•Unsatisfactory sample.