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

Summary

Medical textbooks used to train doctors contain significant gaps in their coverage of fungal infections, which cause millions of deaths annually. While infectious disease textbooks provide better information than general internal medicine textbooks, all of them fall short in covering important topics like diagnosis methods and prevention strategies. The study found that doctors and students relying solely on these textbooks may not have adequate knowledge to properly diagnose and treat fungal infections, which could impact patient care outcomes.

Background

Fungal infections cause over 3.8 million deaths annually and represent a significant public health burden, particularly for immunocompromised patients. Medical textbooks remain primary educational resources for healthcare professionals and students, yet mycology content may be outdated and fail to incorporate recent advances in diagnosis and treatment.

Objective

This study assessed the comprehensiveness of mycology content in leading internal medicine and infectious diseases textbooks by comparing coverage across multiple fungal diseases and topics against current scientific literature and international guidelines.

Results

Infectious disease textbooks demonstrated significantly superior coverage compared to internal medicine textbooks. Mandell achieved scores ≥4 for 66.7% of diseases, while Current performed poorly with 75% of diseases scoring median 1. All textbooks showed weak prevention coverage (median ≤1 except Mandell at 2.5), and significant gaps existed regarding diagnosis, clinical manifestations, and emerging topics like COVID-19 coinfections.

Conclusion

Substantial gaps exist in mycology education within major medical textbooks, particularly regarding diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of fungal diseases. Infectious disease specialists should supplement internal medicine textbooks, and healthcare professionals should consult updated guidelines and peer-reviewed literature to ensure current knowledge of fungal infections and optimal patient care.
  • Published in:Open Forum Infectious Diseases,
  • Study Type:Systematic Review,
  • Source: PMID: 40170751, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf145
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