Epidemiology of Candida colonization in medical surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital of North India

Abstract

Objective: Invasive candidiasis is associated with increased
 morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Current study was undertaken
 to study the colonization trend in critically ill patients admitted to a
 medical /surgical ICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital.
 
 Methodology: Data for the current study has been derived from a
 larger database generated for external validation of risk prediction scores for
 invasive candidiasis conducted in a 12 bedded medical/surgical ICU of a
 tertiary care hospital of North India. Non neutropenic adult patients with
 >48 hours of ICU stay were included in the study. Colonization surveillance
 samples were collected from oral cavity, endotracheal aspirates, axilla,
 perineum and urine at the time of admission and then on 3rd, 7th,
 14th and 21st day of ICU stay. Blood culture samples were
 taken at admission and then as per physician’s discretion.
 
 Results:
 Total 200 patients were enrolled from July 2013 to November 2014. Ninety five
 percent patients were colonized with Candida
 either at admission or during their stay in ICU. The most common species
 responsible for colonization was Candida
 glabrata (27%) followed by C.
 tropicalis (20.5%) and C. auris
 (18%). Seventeen patients developed Candida
 blood stream infection. C. tropicalis
 was the most common species causing candidemia. C.auris was most frequent
 colonizer of axilla (54.2%), while rectal swabs had high growth of C. glabrata (44.9%). 
 
 Conclusion: Our study population had high rate of Candida colonization. C. glabrata was the most common
 colonizer followed by C. tropicalis.  J
 Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 8(4):147-152.