Minding the gap: The moderating role of education between subjective health and social life perception and Internet use time

Introduction: Internet addiction results in intense and frequent use. There is a gap in the literature in relation to the unawareness of problematic Internet use (PIU) in predicting Internet use time (IUT). Objective: To identify sociodemographic/psychological variables contributing and moderating IUT. Participants: 1,270 participants of the European Social Survey (EES), Round 8. Instruments: EES variables assessing Internet use (IU), health perception, well-being, social life, and sociodemographic variables, underlying the construct. Results: Age, education, sources of household income, social activities compared to others of the same age and subjective general health explain IU per day; and age, years of education, domicile and socially meeting with other people with whom to discuss intimate matters explain IU per week. Education was found to be a significant moderator in the relationship between subjective general health and IU per week; and in the relationship between socially meeting with other people and IU per day. Discussion: Maladaptive IU, when the perception of health is worse, and adaptive IU, when the perception of social life is better, are both suggested, depending on education. Conclusions: These findings point to the need to study IUT involving educational level, keeping in mind that what may be PIU at one educational level may not be the case at another.

Introdução: O vício da Internet traduz-se numa utilização intensa e frequente. Existe uma lacuna na literatura sobre o desconhecimento dos preditores do uso problemático da Internet (PIU) do tempo de utilização da Internet (IUT). Objetivo: Identificar as variáveis sociodemográficas/psicológicas que contribuem e moderam o IUT. Participantes: 1270 participantes da European Social Survey (EES), Round 8. Instrumentos: Variáveis ESS que avaliam a utilização da Internet (IU), perceção de saúde, bem-estar, vida social e variáveis sociodemográficas, sub jacentes ao construto. Resultados: Idade, escolaridade, fontes de renda familiar, atividades sociais em comparação com outras da mesma idade e saúde geral subjetiva explicam IU por dia e idade, anos de escolaridade, domicílio, convívio social com outras pessoas e quem para discutir assuntos íntimos explicam IU por semana. A escolaridade mostrou-se um moderador significativo na relação entre saúde geral subjetiva e IU por semana; e na relação entre encontro social com outras pessoas e IU por dia. Discussão: IU desadaptativa, quando a perceção de saúde é pior, e IU adaptativa, quando a perceção de vida social é melhor, dependem da escolaridade. Conclusões: Os resultados sugerem o estudo do IUT de acordo com o nível educacional, pois o que pode ser um PIU num nível educacional pode não ser noutro.

Education in health for individuals with chronic pain: clinical trial / Educação em saúde para indivíduos com dor crônica: ensaio clínico

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The use of socio-educational booklets is recommended for assisting in the control of chronic pain. However, the efficacy and safety of these light technologies have not yet been tested enough for widespread application, based on the model of scientific evidence. This study aimed to assess the effect of a health education program in individuals suffering from CP using the EducaDor booklet. METHODS: Randomized clinical trial conducted with chronic pain patients from Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS - Primary Health Care Units) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Assessments were performed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Visual Analog Scale of Pain (VAS-P) and World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Bref (WHOQoL-bref ), before and after the intervention, for intra and intergroup analyses: Test Group (Booklet) and Control Group (Conventional Care). The contents of the EducaDor booklet were presented didactically in six meetings with an interval of one week between them. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 10 individuals in each group (n = 20). In the Control Group, there was an increase in pain intensity (p=0.034), while the Test Group showed a reduction in pain intensity (p=0.015) and a lower level of interference in the physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental quality of life domains (p<0.05). In the intergroup comparisons, an improvement was observed in the domain of social relationships in the Test Group (p=0.015). CONCLUSION: EducaDor booklet has been shown to be effective and safe for the education of patients suffering from CP by reducing pain intensity and improving patients' quality of life.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Recomenda-se a utilização de cartilhas socioeducativas para auxiliar no controle da dor crônica (DC). No entanto, a eficácia e a segurança dessas tecnologias leves foram pouco testadas para ampla aplicação, com base no modelo de evidências científicas. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de um programa de educação em saúde em indivíduos com DC por meio da cartilha EducaDor. MÉTODOS: Ensaio clínico randomizado realizado com indivíduos que apresentam DC em Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. Os participantes foram submetidos à aplicação do Inventário Breve de Dor (BPI), Escala Analógica Visual (EAV) e do instrumento de Qualidade de Vida da Organização Mundial da Saúde - Bref (WHOQoL-bref ), antes e após a intervenção, para análises intra e intergrupos: Grupo Teste (booklet) e Grupo Controle (cuidado convencional). O conteúdo da cartilha EducaDor foi apresentado didaticamente em seis encontros com intervalo de uma semana entre eles. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi composta por 10 pessoas em cada grupo (n = 20). No Grupo Controle, houve aumento da intensidade da dor (p=0,034), enquanto o Grupo Teste apresentou redução da intensidade de dor (p=0,015) e menor nível de interferência nos domínios de qualidade de vida físico, psicológico, social e ambiental (p<0,05). Nas comparações intergrupos, observou-se melhora no domínio relações sociais no Grupo Teste (p=0,015). CONCLUSÃO: A cartilha EducaDor mostrou-se eficaz e segura para a educação de pacientes com DC, por reduzir a intensidade da dor e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes.

Influence of psoriasis lesions' location and severity on psychosocial disability and psychopathology. Observational study and psychometric validation of the SAPASI Portuguese version.

OBJECTIVES: The psychosocial impact of psoriasis is well documented. However, the contributing role of clinical disease characteristics is not satisfactorily explored. This study aimed to validate the Self-administered Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (SAPASI) to a Portuguese population (SAPASI-PT) and to perform its cross-validation, assessing how the results will generalize to an independent data set, with the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), in order to assess the influence of psoriasis' severity on psychosocial disability and psychopathology. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 228 patients with psoriasis was carried out. Data was collected through a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, SAPASI-PT, the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) and the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI). The cultural and linguistic adaptation of SAPASI to a Portuguese version and the cross validation with PASI was carried out. Multiple associations between psychosocial disability, psychopathology and severity, discomfort and location of lesions were investigated through logistic regression models. RESULTS: A good adjustment model for SAPASI-PT is found. Also, associations between psychosocial disability, psychopathology and the psoriasis severity and discomfort are found. The existence of lesions is positively associated with the severity of the disease. Patients with lesions in hands or genitals are those reporting a greater discomfort. The presence of lesions in hands is positively associated with PDI, i.e., with leisure and with treatment, marginally. Additionally, patients scoring higher in the personal dimension are found to have a significantly greater percentage of lesions in the genitals. CONCLUSIONS: The psoriasis severity and location of lesions are important determinants of patients´ quality of life. Lesions on face, hands and genitals are associated with a higher impact on psychosocial wellbeing of patients. Psychological counselling should be considered within psoriasis treatment context in patients with the described disease manifestations.

Spirituality in Coping with Pain in Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Spirituality has been identified as an adaptive coping strategy and a predictor of better quality of life in cancer patients. Despite the relevance of spirituality in the health-disease process, it is noted that the assessment of the impact of spirituality in coping with pain is still incipient. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of spirituality in coping with pain in cancer patients. This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in a medium-sized hospital and a cancer patient support institution located in northeastern Brazil. A questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical variables was used and the following instruments were applied: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ); Neuropathic Pain 4 Questions (DN4); Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (SWBS); WHOQOL Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB). Most people with no pain had higher scores on the SWBS. Neuropathic pain was identified in 23 patients and was associated with the highest level of spirituality used as a way of coping with pain. As faith increases, pain decreases in intensity by 0.394 points. On the other hand, as inner peace increases, pain increases by 1.485 points. It is concluded that faith is a strategy for coping with pain, in particular neuropathic pain, minimizing its intensity. On the other hand, greater levels of inner peace allow to increase the awareness of the painful sensation. It is expected that these findings may be useful to integrate spirituality care in healthcare facilities as a resource for positive coping for people in the process of becoming ill, contributing to the therapeutic path and favouring a new meaning to the experience of the disease.

Psychological Factors Explaining Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Travel.

This cross-sectional study aims to determine the psychological factors that contribute to the perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel using a convenience sample (N = 1122) from the general population to whom instruments assessing the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on travel, anxiety, fear, phobia, risk perception, and stress were applied. The participants were mainly female (65.6%), had not attended university, and who were professionally active, with a mean age of around 30-years-old (M = 31.91, SD = 13.76, Min = 18, Max = 81). The perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel correlates with all of the psychological variables, mainly in terms of the emotional fear of COVID-19. Together with the perceived risk of COVID-19, social phobia due to COVID-19, and COVID-19 stress contamination, these variables explain 20% of the perceived impact of COVID-19 on travel variance. The relationship between COVID-19 stress socio-economic consequences and the perception of the pandemic's impact on travel is moderated by the emotional perceived risk of COVID-19. Fear and perception of this risk explain the impact of the COVID-19 on travel in pandemic times, suggesting that the psychological impact of fear and anxiety induced by the pandemic needs to be handled as a public health priority.

Associations between Cues of Sexual Desire and Sexual Attitudes in Portuguese Women.

Sexuality is defined as a multidimensional experience that involves genital, mental, and bodily components. It is also assumed as a basic condition inherent to the human existence that encourages the search for love, intimacy, sex, and proximity to others. The main objective of this study is to assess the relationship between cues of sexual desire and sexual attitudes in Portuguese women. This is a cross-sectional study with 804 Portuguese women to whom the protocol was applied. It included an informed consent, a sociodemographic questionnaire, a questionnaire related to intimacy, a scale of sexual attitudes, and the scale of cues of sexual desire. The protocol was applied via Google Forms due to the current pandemic situation (COVID-19). Differences were found in sexual attitudes and the cues of sexual desire in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, as well as in terms of women's intimacy. Significant correlations were found between the brief sexual attitudes scale (BSAS) and the cues of sexual desire scale (CSDS). Age, sexual orientation, relation nature, sexual practices, visual proximity cues, erotic explicit cues, and sensory explicit cues explain, altogether, 25% of the total sexual attitudes. Additionally, age, sexual orientation, the relation's nature, sexual practices, visual proximity cues, emotional bonding cues, romantic implicit cues, erotic explicit cues, and sensory explicit cues explain, altogether, 30% of the permissiveness. Sexual attitudes are developed under the influence of sociodemographic variables, variables related to women's intimacy, and cues of sexual desire, which are new data in the study of sexual attitudes and have implications at the level of gender issues.

Preliminary Validation Study of the Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale for the Portuguese Population.

Religion is a construct widely present in most people's lives. Religious motivations, either intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as religious centrality, are crucial aspects of religion. In the Portuguese population, there are no validated instruments to assess these aspects of religion. Accordingly, this study intends to validate the Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale (IRMS) and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) for the Portuguese population. This is a validation study whose sample consists of 326 participants (73.1% women) from the general population. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out and the correlations between the constructs and self-compassion were determined to assess the convergent and divergent validity. The results obtained confirm the existence of models adjusted to the population, allowing us to conclude that the instruments are reliable for assessing the studied constructs. The validation of the IRMS and CRS for the Portuguese population is of outstanding importance, as it provides researchers in the field with valid instruments and psychometric qualities to carry out research within religion and religiosity.

Portuguese Version of COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale and COVID-19 Phobia Scale: Psychometric Properties.

The COVID-19 pandemic scenario has a psychological impact on individuals and society. A higher level of perceived risk concerning COVID-19 has been found when compared to other potential health threats. A misperception of risk in contrast with the real risk may lead people to develop disruptive cognitive, affective, or behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, namely, coronaphobia. Validated instruments are needed to evaluate such responses. This work aims to validate the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale (C19PRS) and the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19PS) in the Portuguese population. The two scales were translated from English to Portuguese using the back-translation technique. The cultural adaptation was framed in the context of establishing the validity and reliability of the instruments. In two studies, C19PRS and C19PS were validated for the adult Portuguese population (N = 1122; women = 725 (64.6%); mean age of 31.91 years old) through exploratory factorial analysis, followed by a confirmatory factorial analysis. Convergent validity was calculated by composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) values. Discriminant validity was assessed by square roots of the AVE values and their comparison with the C19PRS and C19PS dimensions' cross-correlations. Both C19PRS and C19PS present a good adjustment model and solid reliability and validity and have significant correlations with fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 anxiety scales.

Knowledge and Practices of Community Pharmacists in Topical Dermatological Treatments.

The connection between pharmacists' knowledge and practice on the provided information to patients about dermatoses and their treatment is insufficiently characterized. Furthermore, pharmacists' contributions in counselling and in promoting adherence to topical treatment is not fully understood. This study has three main objectives. It aims to identify the knowledge and practices of pharmacists about dermatoses and their treatment, and to compare the perspective of pharmacists with that of patients regarding treatment information, with the future goal of establishing guidelines on the communication of dosage regimen instructions to dermatological patients and promotion of adherence to treatment, filling a gap. A cross-sectional, exploratory, and descriptive study was carried out. Based on experts' prior knowledge and extensive collected literature information, two questionnaire protocols, one for pharmacists and another one for patients, were designed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were carried out in relation to the pharmacists' questionnaire for instrument validation. The results indicate that knowledge of pharmacists regarding dermatoses and their treatment is considered acceptable. Most of the pharmacists were reported to provide information to patients. Oppositely, patients reported not to have receive it. This is an important issue because pharmacists play a primary role in the management of several diseases. As non-adherence can be triggered by poor understanding of the dosing instructions, pharmacists' communication practices play an important role in improving this hinderance. Results from this study identified pharmacist-patient communication gaps, so the development of guidelines to improve the transmission of clear dosage regimen instructions and knowledge about patient's disease are of paramount importance. Training programs for continuous education of pharmacist should be implemented to solve the identified communication problems found in this study.

Adverse childhood experiences and delinquent behaviour: Predictors and mediating variables

ABSTRACT Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been identified as a risk factor for the development of mental health and behavioural outcomes throughout life, including delinquent behaviours. This article focuses on the relationship between ACEs and delinquent behaviour (DB), seeking to identify predictors and mediating variables. Methods: The quantitative study comprised 175 Portuguese adolescents, aged 12 and 17 years of age (M = 14.99, SD = 2.26). Results: ACEs and exposure to traumatic events (ETE) are predictive of DB. Antisocial traits (AT) was found to be mediating the relationship between ACEs and DB, as well as the relation between ETE and DB. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is necessary that professionals in health behaviour field prevent and intervene in ACEs and in ETE, both predictors of DB. The results of this study allow to understand the role of ACEs in DB and its mediating variables, which must be considered to mitigate the harmful impact of ACEs in DB.

Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Associations with Travel, Tourism and Hospitality.

The aim of this study is to determine the anxiety and fear related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and their associations with travel, tourism and hospitality, in the Portuguese population. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) were validated for the Portuguese population and correlations with issues related to travel, tourism and hospitality were established. CAS and FCV-19S presented a good adjustment model and solid reliability and validity. Correlations between CAS and FCV-19S and the perception of the impact of COVID-19 in travel, tourism and hospitality were found. Participants considered that COVID-19 mainly affected their holidays and leisure time. However, the strongest correlation established was between total FCV-19S and emotional fear FCV-19S and the fear of attending hotel facilities. The Portuguese versions of CAS and FCV-19S are reliable psychological tools to assess anxiety and fear in relation to COVID-19 for the general population. The use of hotel facilities is the most threatening issue related to travel, tourism and hospitality. The results suggest that hotels should invest in hygiene and safety measures that allow users to regain confidence in hotel equipment.

The Mediator Role of Body Image-Related Cognitive Fusion in the Relationship between Disease Severity Perception, Acceptance and Psoriasis Disability.

Psoriasis is a long-term skin disorder without a cure, whose patients are particularly susceptible to mental health diseases. Using a sample of patients diagnosed with psoriasis, this study aimed to: (1) identify the clinical and positive psychological variables that contribute the most to psoriasis disability and (2) assess the mediator role of body image-related cognitive fusion in the relation between disease severity perception and acceptance and self-compassion, on one hand, and psoriasis disability on the other. This is an initial cross-sectional exploratory study, with 75 patients diagnosed with psoriasis (males 52%; mean age 54.99 ± 13.72) answering a sociodemographic and a clinical questionnaire, the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI), the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-Body Image (CFQ-BI), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to characterize and assess the measures and the final model used. Through path analysis and a hierarchical multiple linear regression, it was found that the variables that significantly contributed to psoriasis disability were years of education, impact on social life and body image, explaining 70% of the variance. Body image-related cognitive fusion was a significant mediator in the relationship between disease severity and acceptance, and psoriasis disability. The implications of this study are considered to be extremely relevant, since it will allow additional information to be provided to psoriasis patients, appropriated to their educational level, aiming to reduce distorted perceptions of disease severity and intervene in the ability to accept this specific and important chronic health condition.

The Mediating Effect of Parental Involvement on School Climate and Behavior Problems: School Personnel Perceptions.

As a reflection of the culture and norms of the school community, the school climate (SC) is a potential factor connected to students' major behavior problems (BP). Parental involvement (PI) is considered as an essential factor for SC, contributing to promote good students' educational results, as well as better social functioning. The present study aimed to analyze the mediating effect of PI on the relationship between SC and BP, taking into consideration the school personnel perceptions. A total of 329 school personnel (teachers versus no teachers) aged between 29 and 66 (M = 50.78, SD = 7.56), mainly female (79%), were integrated in the sample. Based on the perception of the school personnel, the results indicate moderate level of PI and SC, as well as the existence of different BP in the school context. The mediating effect of PI in the relationship between the SC and BP has been demonstrated. These results suggest that, if the SC and PI are improved, it could be an effective strategy to enhance the social functioning of students in the school context. This study thus contributes to a comprehensive empirical analysis of how PI can improve the relationship between the SC and the BP of Portuguese students.

Comparing Psychopathological Symptoms in Portuguese Football Fans and Non-Fans.

The present study aims to characterize football fans and non-fans and to compare their psychopathological symptoms with the latest normative values for the Portuguese population from Canavarro in 2007. Results showed that football fans and non-fans are mostly male, have an affective relationship, are childless, have secondary education or a high degree, and are employed or students; fans are more likely to be male, dating, unemployed, to have elementary education and be younger than non-fans. Football fans present significantly higher psychopathological symptoms than non-fans in somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation and psychoticism and all psychopathological indexes. Football fans present values very close to those of populations with emotional distress in hostility and are above the mean of the general population in obsession-compulsion, hostility, paranoid ideation and psychoticism.

Roles of the multiplex real-time PCR assay and ß-D-glucan in a high-risk population for intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC).

Multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (MRT-PCR) using blood can improve the diagnosis of intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC). We prospectively studied 39 patients with suspected IAC in the absence of previous antifungal therapy. Blood cultures, MRT-PCR, and ß-D-glucan (BDG) in serum were performed in all patients. IAC was defined according to the 2013 European Consensus criteria. For MRT-PCR, the probes targeted the ITS1 or ITS2 regions of ribosomal DNA. Candidaemia was confirmed only in four patients (10%), and IAC criteria were present in 17 patients (43.6%). The sensitivity of MRT-PCR was 25% but increased to 63.6% (P = .06) in plasma obtained prior to volume overload and transfusion; specificity was above 85% in all cases. BDG performance was improved using a cutoff > 260 pg/ml, and improvement was not observed in samples obtained before transfusion. In this cohort of high risk of IAC and low rate of bloodstream infection, the performance of non-culture-based methods (MRT-PCR or BDG) was moderate but may be a complementary tool given the limitations of diagnostic methods available in clinical practice. Volume overload requirements, in combination with other factors, decrease the accuracy of MRT-PCR in patients with IAC.

Aerosolized Lipid Amphotericin B for Complementary Therapy and/or Secondary Prophylaxis in Patients with Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Experience with aerosolized lipid amphotericin B (aeLAB) as therapy or secondary prophylaxis in patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is anecdotal. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the efficacy of systemic antifungal therapy with and without aeLAB in patients with proven or probable IPA. Complete or partial response at 3 months was the primary end-point. Clinical response and mortality at 12 months, occurrence of adverse drug reactions and respiratory fungal colonization were secondary end-point. RESULTS: Eleven patients (39%) received aeLAB in addition to systemic antifungal therapy (group A), and 22 (61%) received systemic antifungal therapy only (group B). The use of aeLAB was not standardized. Amphotericin B lipid complex was used in all patients but one, who received liposomal amphotericin B. Five patients received aeLAB as antifungal complementary therapy and 6 received it as secondary prophylaxis. Except for the requirement of inhaled corticosteroids and home oxygen therapy, more frequent in group A, both groups were similar in baseline conditions. A better (nonsignificant) clinical outcome was observed at 3 months in patients receiving aeLAB. Only uncontrolled baseline condition was associated with one-year mortality in univariate analysis (p = 0.002). A multivariate Cox regression analysis suggests that aeLAB, corrected for uncontrolled underlying disease, reduces mortality at 12 months (HR 0.258; 95% CI 0.072-0.922; p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Although no significant difference was observed in the main variable (3-month clinical response) and in spite of methodological limitations of the study, the possible survival benefit of aeLAB, adjusted for the control of the underlying disease, could justify the performance of well-controlled studies with a greater number of patients.

High-Resolution Melting Assay for Genotyping Variants of the CYP2C19 Enzyme and Predicting Voriconazole Effectiveness.

Voriconazole is a triazole antifungal agent recommended as primary treatment for invasive aspergillosis, as well as some other mold infections. However, it presents some pharmacokinetic singularities that lead to a great variability intra- and interindividually, nonlinear pharmacokinetics, and a narrow therapeutic range. Most experts have recommended tracing the levels of voriconazole in patients when receiving treatment. This azole is metabolized through the hepatic enzyme complex cytochrome P450 (CYPP450), with the isoenzyme CYP2C19 being principally involved. Allelic variations (polymorphisms) of the gene that encodes this enzyme are known to contribute to variability in voriconazole exposure. Three different allelic variants, CYP2C19*17, CYP2C19*2, and CYP2C19*3, could explain most of the phenotypes related to the voriconazole metabolism and some of its pharmacokinetic singularities. We designed a rapid molecular method based on high-resolution melting to characterize these polymorphisms in a total of 142 samples, avoiding sequencing. Three PCRs were designed with similar cycling conditions to run simultaneously. The results showed that our method represents a fast, accurate, and inexpensive means to study these variants related to voriconazole metabolism. In clinical practice, this could offer a useful tool to individually optimize therapy and reduce expenses in patients with fungal infections.