The patient videoscopes feature stories from real patients who survived invasive fungal infections. These survivor stories address patient and caregiver perspectives on unmet educational needs while also documenting the actual patient experience.
In the Faces of Fungal Infections series, Mycoses Study Group Education & Research Consortium (MSGERC) members interview patients who have survived invasive fungal infections. This series was created for to educate both patients and providers, raising awareness of these infections, promoting prompt diagnosis, illustrating the impact on patients, and encouraging strategies to support patients in their health journey during and after these devastating infections.
These first video interviews were conducted by Peter Pappas, MD, William E. Dismukes Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama. They Illustrate the stories of two patients with endemic mycoses. Endemic mycoses cases have been identified in patients with COVID-19, so its helpful to understand how these infections present and what to look for in patients with or recovering from COVID-19.
Carrea ‘s Story
Carrea was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 14 and has been on a biologic for 13 years. Recently, she struggled with an unexplained illness for over a month before things took a sudden turn for the worse:
“I woke up one Sunday morning with a fever of 104.1°F. I couldn’t really move, and I felt like it was a chore to even just lift my arm. I had a very bad migraine, and I knew something was wrong. I drove to the emergency room, and they sent me right back because my fever was so high. And they ran test after test after test. And everything came back negative. They did not know what was wrong at the time.”
Watch Carrea’s interview with Dr Pappas and learn about her experience with disseminated histoplasmosis. Witness the inspiring story of how this experience led to her commitment to advocate for other patients with compromised immune systems.
Introduction to Faces of Fungal Infections series
Carrea’s Story: Histoplasmosis Diagnosis
Diagnosis and Management of Disseminated Histoplasmosis
Key Learnings About Histoplasmosis
Darrell’s Story
While working on his truck in rural Alabama, Darrell injured himself. He then noticed a small ulcer on his forearm that was very painful. He had it checked by a doctor and was put on antibiotics. The ulcer then proceeded to grow at an alarming rate over the next 6 months. Nobody could figure out what it was. Darrell shared the strange and frustrating experience with this unexplained ulcer:
“After the first biopsy, it was twice the size that is was originally. Each time a biopsy was done, it became larger. By the next biopsy, it was probably about one third of my forearm. It was starting to bleed every night in the shower, to the point where it scared me a little bit. The doctors would say they hadn’t seen anything like it and didn’t know what it was.”
Watch Dr Pappas interview Darrell about his experience with blastomycosis.
Darrell’s Story: A Case of Blastomycosis
Infectious Diseases Consult for Blastomycosis
Key Learnings About Blastomycosis
In this video interview, Peter Pappas, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at University of Alabama School of Medicine, interviews a kidney transplant recipient who recently developed cryptococcosis during a hospitalization with COVID-19. Dr Pappas also provides some insights into the risk for invasive fungal infections in solid organ transplant patients who develop COVID-19.
Dr Pappas discussing the patient’s disease and treatment course with him
Dr Pappas discussing COVID-19—associated invasive fungal infections in transplant patients
In this video series, Dr Jose Vazquez, from Augusta University, his patient Kiko Castro, and Mr Castro’s daughter Angela Stroman discuss Mr Castro’s experience with an invasive fungal infection. This COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) complicated Mr Castro’s COVID-19 disease course. Fortunately, he recovered well once the fungal infection was diagnosed and treated.
Dr Vazquez discusses Mr Castro’s case and what led him to suspect an invasive fungal infection.
Dr Vazquez discusses the treatment course, including the time course of antifungal therapy.
Dr Vazquez discusses the psychological challenges of being in the ICU, the importance of family visits, and determining when patients can come off of antifungal therapy.
Dr Vazquez shares pearls about COVID-19-associated IFIs (CA-IFIs) for healthcare providers.
Introduction to Mr Castro and his daughter Angela Stroman.
In this video from Mr Castro and Ms Stroman, they explain how quickly COVID-19 can progress and how important it is to remain positive regardless of the severity of the illness.
This video discusses how disconcerting it is to family members when their loved one has to go on the ventilator.
In this video from Mr Castro and Ms Stroman, they explain how they found out about the CAPA diagnosis.
In this video from Mr Castro and Ms Stroman, they explain how identification and management of CAPA led to a rapid improvement in Mr Castro’s overall health.
In this video, Dr Vazquez, Mr Castro, and Ms Stroman discuss transitioning from IV to oral antifungal therapy.
In this video, Dr Vazquez, Mr Castro, and Mrs Stroman discuss the isolation associated with the COVID-19 ICU stay and provide strategies to personalize the experience.
Ms Stroman provides a message of hope regarding CA-IFIs for other patients and caregivers.
Mr Castro provides his survivor story and how well he is doing now.
In English, Mr Castro and Dr Vazquez provides perspective on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to prevent serious sequelae, such as CA-IFIs.
In Spanish, Mr Castro and Dr Vazquez provides perspective on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to prevent serious sequelae, such as CA-IFIs.
