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. 2016 Apr 19;3(2):ofw078.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofw078. eCollection 2016 Apr.

Diagnostic Delay and Antibiotic Overuse in Acute Pulmonary Blastomycosis

Jonathan D Alpern  1 , Nathan C Bahr  2 , Gabriela Vazquez-Benitez  3 , David R Boulware  4 , Jonathan S Sellman  5 , George A Sarosi  6
Affiliations

Diagnostic Delay and Antibiotic Overuse in Acute Pulmonary Blastomycosis

Jonathan D Alpern et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. .

Abstract

The diagnosis of blastomycosis is often delayed. We identified 28 cases of pulmonary blastomycosis in a retrospective chart review. Most patients received multiple antibiotic courses before being diagnosed, and the sputum KOH smear was rarely used. Diagnostic delay can be decreased with higher suspicion for pulmonary blastomycosis and early use of the sputum KOH smear.

Keywords: antibiotic overuse; diagnostic delay; fungal infection; pulmonary blastomycosis.

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