Intensive care unit-related fluconazole use in Spain and Germany: patient characteristics and outcomes of a prospective multicenter longitudinal observational study Heimo Wissing,1 Jose Ballus,2 Tobias M Bingold,1 Gonzalo Nocea,3 Karl J Krobot,4 Peter Kaskel,4 Ritesh N Kumar,5 Panagiotis Mavros51Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, and Pain Therapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; 2Bellvitge University Hospital, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat (Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain; 3Merck Sharp and Dohme, Madrid, Spain; 4MSD SHARP & DOHME GMBH, Outcomes Research, Haar, Germany; 5Merck and Co, Outcomes Research, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USABackground: Candida spp. are a frequent cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections worldwide.Objective: To evaluate the use patterns and outcomes associated with intravenous (IV) fluconazole therapy in intensive care units in Spain and Germany.Patients and methods: The research reported here was a prospective multicenter longitudinal observational study in adult intensive care unit patients receiving IV fluconazole. Demographic, microbiologic, therapy success, length of hospital stay, adverse event, and all-cause mortality data were collected at 14 sites in Spain and five in Germany, from February 2004 to November 2005.Results: Patients