Incidence and risk factors for the development of candidemia in patients admitted to a public tertiary hospital

Abstract

Candidemia is the major problem in hospitals because of its high incidence - 3.9 cases per 1,000 admissions and lethality - 50 to 72%, although the advances observed in the antifungal treatments. We have carried out a retrospective analysis of cases of the bloodstream infection (BSI) by Candida spp. in a tertiary teaching hospital in the West Paulista, São Paulo state, with the aim of studying the clinical and epidemiologic aspects of the disease. Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects were collected from an electronic medical record. Twenty three cases of BSI by Candida spp., were included in this study. The patient’s age varied from 8 days to 90 years, where 64% were adults and 36% kids. The incidence rate was 0,88/1000 admissions. The episodes of candidemia were registered in at adult ICU (61,0%) and newborn ICU (26,0%), 13 patients (57,0%) died during hospital stay, the mortality was higher in patients who had more than 60 years (p=0,0003). The probability of death tends to increase as the age gets higher. Confirms yourself the importance of the invasive Candida spp. infections in the patients evolution, especially when elderly patients and neonates are involved.