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Cracks in the Curriculum: The Hidden Deficiencies in Fungal Disease Coverage in Medical Books

Summary

This study examined how well major medical textbooks cover fungal diseases, which kill millions of people annually. Researchers found that books focused on infectious diseases had much better information about fungal infections than general internal medicine textbooks. Most textbooks failed to adequately cover how to prevent fungal infections and diagnose them correctly, which could lead to delayed treatment and worse patient outcomes.

Background

Fungal infections cause over 3.8 million deaths annually and are an increasing public health concern, particularly affecting immunocompromised patients. Textbooks remain a primary educational resource for healthcare professionals and students, yet mycology content may be outdated and fail to incorporate advances in therapies and diagnostics.

Objective

To quantitatively assess mycology content in leading internal medicine and infectious diseases textbooks by comparing textbook coverage with relevant mycology studies and international guidelines to identify gaps and outdated information.

Results

Infectious diseases textbooks demonstrated significantly better coverage than internal medicine textbooks. Mandell provided comprehensive coverage with 66.7% of diseases scoring ≥4, while Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment showed poor coverage with 75% of fungal diseases receiving median scores of 1. All textbooks had inadequate prevention coverage (median 1 except Mandell at 2.5), and internal medicine books scored lowest on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Conclusion

Significant gaps exist in fungal disease coverage across major medical textbooks, particularly in internal medicine texts. Healthcare professionals should supplement textbooks with up-to-date guidelines and peer-reviewed articles to ensure current knowledge and provide safe, effective patient care. Ongoing updates to textbook content are essential given the evolving nature of medical mycology.
  • Published in:Open Forum Infectious Diseases,
  • Study Type:Systematic Review,
  • Source: PMID: 40170751, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf145
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