FIG. 1.

Timeline of events during an episode of candidemia. The following time periods are defined: (i) incubation period (time needed for blood culture to incubate and turn positive), (ii) provider notification period (time taken for microbiologist to recognize yeast in the blood culture and to notify the health care provider), (iii) antifungal initiation period (time from provider notification to administration of the first dose of antifungal medication), and (iv) total time period (time from blood culture collection to antifungal initiation [or the sum of the three time periods listed above]).