Risk Factors For Candidemia Research Articles

Analysis of Candida auris candidemia cases in an Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary hospital.

To analyze the relationship between colonization by C.auris and the appearance of invasive candidiasis. Description of the sample of colonized patients, risk factors for colonization and/or infection, and calculation of mortality rates. Longitudinal observational study in an anesthesia intensive care unit in 2018. 2130 patients were admitted. Surveillance studies were positive in 124 patients; 118 cases involved skin colonization and 52 were pharyngeal. Patients with a positive blood culture were identified. A statistically significant association was found between pharyngeal colonization and the appearance of a positive blood culture. There were significant differences between patients with a high Candida Score as a risk factor for candidemia. In total, 67% of pharyngeal carriers negativized at 1 month compared to 21% of cutaneous carriers, who negativized after 3-4 months. Of the patients with positive blood cultures, 70% of non-survivors received only monotherapy, although this difference was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. The incidence of C.auris, a multi-resistant pathogen that is difficult to diagnose, treat and eradicate, is steadily increasing among critically ill patients. Its status as an emerging threat to global health calls for the urgent implementation of early in-hospital detection systems.

An approach to develop clinical prediction rule for candidemia in critically ill patients: A retrospective observational study.

Early detection of candidemia in critically ill patients is important for preemptive antifungal treatment. Our study aimed to identify the independent risk factors for the development of a new candidemia prediction score. This single-centre retrospective observational study evaluated 2479 intensive care unit (ICU) cases from January 2016 to December 2018. A total of 76 identified candidemia cases and 76 matched control cases were analyzed. The patients' demographic characteristics and illness severity were analyzed, and possible risk factors for candidemia were investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified renal replacement therapy (RRT) (odds ratio [OR]: 52.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.82-356.92; P < 0.0001), multifocal Candida colonization (OR: 23.55; 95% CI: 4.23-131.05; P < 0.0001), parenteral nutrition (PN) (OR: 63.67; 95% CI: 4.56-889.77; P = 0.002), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR: 7.67; 95% CI: 1.24-47.30; P = 0.028) as independent risk factors. A new prediction score with a cut-off value of 5.0 (80.3% sensitivity and 77.3% specificity) was formulated from the logit model equation. Renal replacement therapy, AKI, PN, and multifocal Candida colonization were the independent risk factors for the new candidemia prediction score with high discriminatory performance and predictive accuracy.

Evaluation of the effect of antibiotics used during parenteral nutrition treatment on Candidemia.

Parenteral nutrition is an important risk factor for candidemia. In this risk analysis study, the effect of previous antibiotic administration apart from the length of hospital stay, duration of Parenteral nutrition treatment, and Candida score parameters on developing candidemia was evaluated in the non-neutropenic patients receiving Parenteral nutrition treatment. In this double center, retrospective, and cross-sectional study, the data of patients who received Parenteral nutrition treatment were collected. Patients with or without candidemia after the initiation of Parenteral nutrition treatment were compared in terms of demographic features, Candida score, length of hospital stay, duration of Parenteral nutrition treatment, and previous use of antibiotics. Then, predictor factors affecting the probability of candidemia during Candida growth time were determined by the Cox regression analysis. A total of 148 patients (59.5% males) were included and 16 (10.81%) of these had candidemia after initiation of parenteral nutrition treatment. The median (min-max) duration of parenteral nutrition treatment was 11 (4-72) days and the Candida growth time was 13 (7-29) days. Statistically significant differences were found between patients with or without candidemia groups in terms of length of hospital stay (p<0.001), duration of parenteral nutrition treatment (p<0.001), and Candida score (p<0.001). To determine the effect of these variables and antibiotics on candidemia, length of hospital stay [Hazard Ratio 1.030; p=0.021] and piperacillin-tazobactam (Hazard Ratio 5.626; p=0.030) were found significant and independent risk factors on the development of candidemia. There are some well-known risk factors including length of hospital stay, duration of Parenteral nutrition treatment, and Candida score; the potential impact of piperacillin-tazobactam administration should also be considered since they may be effective on the development of candidemia.

Comparison of Outcomes in Candidemia Between COVID-19 and Non–COVID-19 Patients

Background: Fungemia is associated with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and increase in length of hospital stay. Several studies have recognized increased rates of candidemia since the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Patients with candidemia during January through May 2020 were identified through Theradoc. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital management, and microbiology were extracted by medical chart review. Patients were divided into cohorts based on COVID-19 status. The Fisher exact and Satterthwaite tests were used for analyses of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results: Overall, 31 patients developed candidemia and 12 (38.7%) patients tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. Candida glabrata was the most prevalent causative organism in both groups. On average, COVID-19 patients developed fungemia 12.1 days from admission, compared to 17.8 days in the COVID-19 negative or untested cohort (P = .340). Additionally, COVID-19 patients with a fungemia coinfection were significantly more likely to expire; 10 COVID-19 patients (83.3%) died, compared to 7 (36.8%) in the COVID-19–negative or untested cohort (P = .025). The cohorts did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in terms of demographic, comorbidities, hospital management, or coinfections. Conclusions: The prevalence of fungemia in COVID-19 patients is significantly greater than historically reported figures. Known risk factors for candidemia, such as use of corticosteroid, use of central venous catheters, and prolonged ICU length of stay were higher in the SARS-CoV-2–positive cohort in this period, which likely contributed to increased fungemia rates, as these factors are also more pronounced in those with COVID-19. Patients who developed candidemia in the COVID-19 cohort had poorer outcomes than those who were SARS-CoV-2 negative or were untested. Further investigation should be conducted in larger studies.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

Characteristics, Risk Factors and Predictors for Candidemia in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb in Croatia: A 9-Year Retrospective Study.

Candidemia is one of the leading causes of bloodstream infections in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The aim of this study was to define characteristics and risk factors for candidemia in the PICU setting and propose a predictive model to identify the patients at risk. This was a retrospective matched case-control study in the PICU during a 9-year period. Patients with candidemia were studied and matched with control patients without candidemia. Univariate analysis was performed for potential risk factors and multivariate analysis was conducted to determine the prediction score for candidemia. Forty-two cases of candidemia were matched with 84 control patients. Candida parapsilosis was the most common (71.4%) species. Risk factors independently associated with candidemia were: the use of >2 antibiotics in a maximum period of 4 weeks before the candidemia (odds ratio [OR]: 10.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.05-54.83), a previous bacterial infection in a maximum period of 4 weeks before the candidemia (OR: 5.56; 95% CI: 1.44-21.5) and the duration of PICU stay of >10 days (OR: 4.22; 95% CI: 1.02-17.41). The proposed predictive scoring system has a sensitivity of 95.24%, specificity of 76.12%, OR 64.0, 95% CI 14.2-288.6, the positive predictive value of 66.67% and the negative predictive value of 96.97%. Previously reported risk factors for candidemia have been confirmed and some new have been detected. The presented scoring system can help identify patients who would benefit from prophylactic antifungal therapy.

Candidemia in Non-neutropenic Pediatric Patients in an Intensive Care Unit

Aim: Candidemia has high morbidity and mortality rate in critically ill patients hospitalized in intensive care units. Prompt initiation of accurate anti-fungal therapy is essential for survival. In this study, a 6-year retrospective candidemia analysis of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) was performed to review candida species distribution, risk factors for candidemia and change in the antifungal resistance in years. Material and Method: The candidemia episodes of children followed in the PICU of XXX Hospital between January 2014 and January 2020 were analyzed. The demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatments and outcomes of the patients were obtained from the medical records. Results: Fifty-nine episodes of candidemia (54.2% female) were reported in six years, median age at diagnosis was 43 months (range 1-225), median hospital stay was 48 days (range 3-664). All patients had used broad-spectrum antibiotics, majority had comorbidities (89.8%), nasogastric tube (84.7), central venous catheter (78.0%), and on mechanic ventilation (76.3%). Type of candida species was identified in 36 episodes of candidemia; 47.2% of these episodes were caused by C. parapsilosis, 38,9% by C. albicans, 8.3% by C. glabrata (8.3%), 2.8% by C. lusitaniae, and 2.8% by C. tropicalis. Length of hospital stay was longer among patients with nonalbicans candidemia, and these patients had higher leucocyte count at diagnosis. The rate of antifungal resistance increased over the years. Overall, thirty-day mortality rate was 16.9%. Conclusion: For critically ill patients with markedly elevated leucocyte count and long hospital stay, empiric antifungal treatment should cover nonalbicans candida with antifungal resistance.

Epidemiology of Candidemia: Three-Year Results from a Croatian Tertiary Care Hospital.

Invasive candidosis is the most common invasive fungal infection in hospitalized patients and is associated with a high mortality rate. This is the first study from a Croatian tertiary care hospital describing epidemiology, risk factors and species distribution in patients with candidemia. A three-year retrospective observational study, from 2018 to 2020, was performed at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. A total of 160 patients with candidemia (n = 170 isolates) were enrolled. Candidemia incidence increased from 0.47 to 0.69 per 1000 admissions in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Ninety-five patients (58.38%) were in the intensive care unit. The main risk factors for candidemia were central venous catheter (CVC) (84.38%), previous surgical procedure (56.88%) and invasive mechanical ventilation (42.50%). Candida albicans was identified in 43.53% of isolates, followed by C. parapsilosis (31.76%) and C. glabrata (12.36%), C. krusei (5.29%), C. tropicalis (2.35%) and C. lusitaniae (2.35%). The study discovered a shift to non-albicans Candida species, particularly C. parapsilosis, and made it possible to determine the main tasks we should focus on to prevent candidemia in the hospital, these being mainly infection control measures directed towards prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections, specifically comprising hand hygiene and CVC bundles of care. The potential benefit of fluconazole prophylaxis in certain populations of surgical patients could also be considered.

Análisis de casos de candidemia por Candida auris en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de Anestesia en un hospital terciario

Candida auris is a multi-resistant emerging fungus. ObjectivesTo analyze the relationship between colonization by C.auris and the appearance of invasive candidiasis. Description of the sample of colonized patients, risk factors for colonization and/or infection, and calculation of mortality rates. MethodologyLongitudinal observational study in an anesthesia intensive care unit in 2018. Results2130 patients were admitted. Surveillance studies were positive in 124 patients; 118 cases involved skin colonization and 52 were pharyngeal. Patients with a positive blood culture were identified. A statistically significant association was found between pharyngeal colonization and the appearance of a positive blood culture. There were significant differences between patients with a high Candida Score as a risk factor for candidemia. In total, 67% of pharyngeal carriers negativized at 1 month compared to 21% of cutaneous carriers, who negativized after 3-4 months. Of the patients with positive blood cultures, 70% of non-survivors received only monotherapy, although this difference was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. ConclusionsThe incidence of C.auris, a multi-resistant pathogen that is difficult to diagnose, treat and eradicate, is steadily increasing among critically ill patients. Its status as an emerging threat to global health calls for the urgent implementation of early in-hospital detection systems.

Candidemia in Children: A 16-year Longitudinal Epidemiologic Study.

Candida species are the most common cause of systemic fungal infections in children. Risk factors for candidemia vary in different patient populations, posing challenges for clinical prediction of infection. We describe the epidemiology and clinical disease of candidemia in children admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital. Retrospective audit of children ≤18 years of age with candidemia at a tertiary pediatric hospital over a 16-year period. There were 139 episodes of candidemia in 124 children. A central venous catheter was present in 94% of episodes, prior antibiotic exposure in 86% and parenteral nutrition in 43%. During the study period, the proportion of candidemia due to non-albicans Candida spp. increased primarily due to a rise in C. krusei. Colonization with Candida spp. in the 30 days before developing candidemia was identified in 40% of episodes and the species was concordant in 60%. Infection at other sites was rare, including pulmonary dissemination (9/38, 24%), renal fungal disease (9/114, 8%), fungal endophthalmitis (8/102, 8%) and hepatosplenic nodules (5/92, 5%). Overall, 8/127 (6%) isolates were fluconazole-resistant (7 C. krusei and 1 C. glabrata) and 7/127 (6%) had intermediate susceptibility to fluconazole. The overall 30-day mortality was 12% and significant risk factors for mortality on multivariate analysis were male sex, liver disease and mucositis. Our study outlines low rates of disseminated candidiasis and low mortality associated with candidemia at our institution. Additionally, it suggests that prior colonization may be an important risk factor, however, this should be validated in large prospective controlled studies.

Changing epidemiology and risk factors for candidemia in critically ill patients

Background/Aim: Candidemia is a common cause of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients, resulting in high mortality and morbidity. This retrospective case-control study was designed to identify epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for candidemia in an intensive care unit. Methods: A total of 166 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit between January 2013 and December 2017 were included in this case-control study. Candidemia was defined as at least one positive blood culture for Candida spp. with fever or other clinical findings consistent with infection. Patients who acquired candidemia more than 48 hours after admission represented the case group (n=83). Control group (n=83) consisted of case-matching patients who were hospitalized during the same period and did not develop candidemia. Results: In the candidemia group Candida albicans (57.8%) was the most common species, followed by Candida glabrata (13.3%) and Candida parapsilosis (12%). The rate of C. albicans decreased from 69.2% to 50% during the five-year study period. Out of 83 candidemia infections, 36 (43.4%) were associated with central venous catheters. C. parapsilosis had an increasing rate in parallel with central venous catheter-associated candidemia rates. When comparing cases and controls, in univariate analysis, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, blood transfusion, central venous catheter placement, intubation, gastrointestinal surgery and total parenteral nutrition were significantly more common in the candidemia group (P<0.05 for each). The rate of the patients whose Candida scores were higher or equal to 3, was significantly higher in candidemia group (P=0.03). According to the multivariate analysis, SOFA scores (P<0.001, OR:1.25, 95% CI:1.15-1.37), gastrointestinal surgery (P=0.03, OR:2.60, 95% CI:1.10-6.12), central venous catheter (P=0.04, OR:2.62, 95% CI:1.05-6.57) and total parenteral nutrition (P=0.02, OR:2.61, 95% CI:1.12-6.06) were independent risk factors for candidemia, while enteral feeding (P=0.02, OR:0.27, 95% CI:0.09-0.80) was protective against. Conclusion: The result of our study is an evidence of the changing epidemiology of candidemia, which showed a shift towards non-albicans Candida spp. over the years. The increasing rate of C. parapsilosis and central venous catheter-associated candidemia has highlighted the need for more attention to the central line care and hand hygiene. Our study also revealed that critically ill patients with high SOFA score, gastrointestinal surgery, central venous catheter, and total parenteral nutrition have an elevated risk for developing candidemia. Unless necessary, limitation of total parenteral nutrition, and ensuring the earlier implementation of enteral feeding may be protective from candidemia.

Epidemiology and risk factors of candidemia due to Candida parapsilosis in an intensive care unit.

ABSTRACTWe analyzed the clinical features and risk factors of candidemia due to C. parapsilosis (n=104) in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital over six years. This was a monocentric, retrospective study of candidemia, conducted from January 2013 to March 2019. Epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, invasive procedures, laboratory data and outcomes of 267 patients with candidemia were analyzed to determine risk factors of candidemia due to C. parapsilosis. Sixty-three cases of C. albicans and 204 cases of non-C. albicans Candida (NCAC) species were included, the latter was composed of 104 cases of C. parapsilosis and 100 cases of non-C. albicans species (46 cases of C. tropicalis, 22 cases of C. glabrata, 23 cases of C. guilliermondii, 5 cases of C. krusei and 4 cases of C. lusitaniae), suggesting that C. parapsilosis was the predominant Candida species isolated from cases of candidemia. A binary multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that APACHE II scores, central venous catheterization and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics were closely related to C. parapsilosis candidemia, with OR values of 1.159, 3.913 and 2.217, respectively. In conclusion, we found that C. parapsilosis was the main pathogen among the NCAC candidemia in the ICU patients. APACHE II scores, central venous catheterization and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics were independent risk factors for the occurrence of C. parapsilosis candidemia, which may provide data to support the early introduction of anti-fungal therapy.

1181. Spectrum and Risk Factors of Early Onset versus Late Onset Neonatal Candidemia from Pakistan

BackgroundCandidemia leads to high morbidity and mortality especially in premature neonates from developing countries. We studied the spectrum and risk factors of candidemia in neonates with early onset disease (EOD) or late onset disease (LOD) which has not been extensively investigated in Pakistan. We also determined whether vaginal delivery is associated with candidemia in neonates with EOD.MethodsA case control study was conducted at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Cases (neonates with EOD) and controls (neonates with LOD) were identified from laboratory database for year 2014-2018, and for 2019 data was collected prospectively from laboratory during routine reporting of cultures at which time clinical information was gathered from the patient’s physician/guardian. Study was conducted after obtaining exemption from the ethical review committee.ResultsA total of 669 neonates with IC were identified, out of these 162 neonates had EOD while 507 had LOD. Chart 1 shows the year wise distribution and frequency of different C. species. Mean age of neonates with EOD and LOD was 1.7 and 12.2 days respectively. LOD in neonates was more likely to occur in male patients (COR 2.5, 95% CI 0.6-9.9) was and associated with use of carbapenems (COR 5.1, 95% CI 1.4-17.8). However, LOD had no correlation with non-C. albicans Candida sepsis (COR 0.6, 95% CI 0.1-6.3) as causative agent. EOD was more likely in patients delivered via vaginal delivery (COR 11.3, 95% CI 2.6-48.5).Chart 1: Year wise distribution of Candida species in neonates with candidemia from 2014-2019 ConclusionThe trends for isolation of C. species in neonates showed a trend with C. tropicalis being more common C. species during the recent years. With the infrequent isolation of C. glabrata and C. krusei among other Candida species in this study, fluconazole may be considered a good empiric choice for neonates with suspected fungal sepsis.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

1173. Ocular Candidiasis in Patients with Candidemia Diagnosed by Blood Culture Versus T2Candida® Assay

BackgroundOcular candidiasis (OC) is a serious complication of candidemia. Current guidelines recommend dilated fundoscopic exam (DFE) in all patients with candidemia. In this study, we examined characteristics and outcomes of patients at UAB Medical Center with candidemia diagnosed by blood culture (BC) or T2Candida® rapid diagnostic assay (T2C) who were found to have evidence of fungal disease on ophthalmologic exam.MethodsPatients from 2016-2019 with either 1) at least one positive BC for Candida species or 2) positive T2C assay and negative or no paired BC were identified and retrospectively reviewed. Patients with additional positive BC or T2C within 60 days were excluded from the analysis. Data collected included risk factors for candidemia, causative Candida species, and whether DFE was performed after diagnosis. Patients with evidence of OC by exam were compared by type of ocular involvement (chorioretinitis vs. vitritis), whether visual symptoms were present, and whether intravitreal injection was performed.ResultsA total of 360 episodes of candidemia diagnosed by BC and 288 by T2C alone were included. Of those who underwent DFE, 33 BC patients (12.9%) had findings concerning for OC compared to 18 (8.9%) T2C patients (p=0.177) (Table 2). T2C patients with OC were younger, were more likely to have a prolonged ICU stay and to be mechanically ventilated, and were less likely to be on TPN compared to the BC group. Identification of C. parapsilosis was significantly more common in T2C patients (Table 1). There were no significant differences in presence of visual symptoms, type of ocular involvement, need for intravitreal injection, or 30-day mortality (Table 3).Table 1. Demographics and risk factors Table 2. Episodes of candidemia and ocular candidiasis by year Table 3. Ocular findings and outcomes ConclusionThe frequency of ocular disease was similar between groups. Significantly more T2C patients had candidemia due to C. parapsilosis, and the groups differed in terms of risk factors for candidemia. There were no differences in frequency of intravitreal injection, severity of eye disease, or mortality. Despite recent concerns about the necessity of DFE in asymptomatic patients with candidemia, we believe these results emphasize the importance of performing DFE in candidemic patients and also support the practice of doing so in patients with positive T2C even in the absence of positive blood cultures.Disclosures Peter Pappas, MD, SCYNEXIS, Inc. (Consultant, Advisor or Review Panel member, Research Grant or Support) Todd P. McCarty, MD, Amplyx (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Cidara (Scientific Research Study Investigator)

84. T2Candida Panel Use Evaluation: a Quality Improvement Project

BackgroundInvasive candidiasis is a life-threatening infection with 40% mortality despite antifungal therapy[1] A retrospective chart review of results from our T2Candida Panels from March 2019 to March 2020 was conducted. We compared demographics, co-morbidities, days of antifungal use, length of stay (LOS) and mortality in patients with positive and negative assays.Results271 assays were performed, 27 were positive and were compared to 81 negatives. Baseline demographics and co-morbidities were similar in both groups. All patients tested had >1 risk factor for candidemia.78% were positive for C. albicans/C. tropicalis and 11% positive for C. glabrata/C. krusei and C. parapsilosis respectively. Blood cultures were positive in 8 individuals, of which 5 had a positive assay; among the other 3, one grew C. auris. All species in the T2Candida matched the blood cultures when available.β-D-glucan was positive in 82% of patients with positive T2 results vs 46% in the T2 negative group (p = 0.016).Antifungal administration within the time of assay collection was 54% in the negative group vs 74% in the positive group (p = 0.030). Mean duration of antifungal use were significantly lower in the negative group than the positive group (5.98 vs 17.55 days, p = 0.04).Demographics and Comorbidities Outcomes Cultures ConclusionT2Candida was an effective diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship tool, leading to testing in high risk patients and reducing unnecessary antifungal use. Additional education is required for improved ordering of concurrent blood cultures. Negative results should be interpreted with caution in suspected invasive candidiasis with consideration for species not included in the panel.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Investigation of a healthcare-associated candida infections in a Turkish intensive care unit: risk factors, therapy and clinical outcome

Aim: Candida infections develop especially in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and increase the mortality rates. So, early and accurate diagnosis of Candida infections and determination of risk factors are very important. We aimed to retrospectively investigate Candida infections in terms of species and risk factors for candidemia caused by fungi. Methods: Candida infections in critically ill patients hospitalized in the ICU between January 2014 and December 2018 at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The isolated Candida species were evaluated according to the sample types. The cases were investigated in terms of mortality due to candidiasis, previously used antibiotics and isolated Candida species. Results: 34 Candida species isolated from fungal cultures in ICUs were included in the study. Candida albicans (73.5%) was the most prevalent species isolated (NAC 26.5%). Patients with Candida isolated in their urine samples (76%) had a higher mortality rate than patients with Candida from other regions. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the highest rate of candidiasis (88%) is in patients who received beta-lactam antibiotic treatment. In addition, we think that when Candida species are detected in the urine samples of critically ill patients in the ICU, care should be taken in terms of candidiasis.

Epidemiological profile of candida isolated from septicemic patients

Introduction: Candida is an important cause of blood stream infections (BSI). It ranks fourth in the United States and seventh in Europe. It is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. There is an epidemiological shift from a predominance of Candida albicans to non albicans Candida species in recent decades. Speciation of Candida can help in better approach towards outcome of the patients and to know the intrinsic resistance of various Candida species to antifungal agents. Objectives: To determine the epidemiological profile of Candida infection in septicemic patients and to identify the Candida species isolated. Materials and Methods: A hospital based descriptive study was conducted over a period of 2 years in a tertiary care centre. Candida was isolated in blood culture from 54 patients. Candida isolates were identified to the species level, using both conventional and automated techniques. Results: The most common Candida species isolated were C.parapsilosis complex, C.tropicalis, C.albicans, C.krusei, C.glabrata, C.haemulonii, C.firmetaria and C.guillermondii var membranifaciens. Significant risk factors for candidemia includes HIV/AIDS, diabetes, antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, presence of intravascular catheters, malignancy, surgery, parenteral nutrition. 51.85% of the patients received antifungal therapy with Fluconazole (71.43%) being the most common treatment option which is followed by Voriconazole (10.71%) and Amphotericin B (7.14%). Conclusion: Candidemia is a significant cause of mortality with C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis being the predominant pathogens. This study shows a significant epidemiological shift to higher isolation of non albicans Candida species. Keywords: Candida species, Epidemiological profile, Septicemic, Risk factors.

Risk factors for candidaemia: A prospective multi-centre case-control study.

Candidaemia carries a mortality of up to 40% and may be related to increasing complexity of medical care. Here, we determined risk factors for the development of candidaemia. We conducted a prospective, multi-centre, case-control study over 12months. Cases were aged ≥18years with at least one blood culture positive for Candida spp. Each case was matched with two controls, by age within 10years, admission within 6months, admitting unit, and admission duration at least as long as the time between admission and onset of candidaemia. A total of 118 incident cases and 236 matched controls were compared. By multivariate analysis, risk factors for candidaemia included neutropenia, solid organ transplant, significant liver, respiratory or cardiovascular disease, recent gastrointestinal, biliary or urological surgery, central venous access device, intravenous drug use, urinary catheter and carbapenem receipt. Risk factors for candidaemia derive from the infection source, carbapenem use, host immune function and organ-based co-morbidities. Preventive strategies should target iatrogenic disruption of mucocutaneous barriers and intravenous drug use.

Candidemia in Children with Malignancies: Report from the Infection Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Candidemia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality especially in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients. We retrospectively collected data of candidemia cases that occurred in the seven Hematology-Oncology Departments/Units of Greece and the Stem Cell Transplant Unit between 2015 and 2019. In total, 19 episodes of candidemia in 19 patients were recorded. The majority of the patients (78.9%) had at least one risk factor for candidemia. The most frequent risk factors associated with candidemia observed in our patients were prolonged duration of hospitalization (30 days, range 1–141), presence of a central venous catheter at diagnosis of candidemia (73.7%) and antibiotics use during the last two weeks (84.2%). Candida parapsilosis was the most common species isolated accounting for 42.1%, followed by C. albicans (26.3%) and C. famata (15.8%). Nearly all of the patients (84.2%) received antifungal monotherapy with liposomal amphotericin B or echinocandins. The central venous catheter was removed in 78.6% of patients and the median time between the first positive blood culture and catheter removal was 3 days (range 1–9). Mortality at 28 days was 26.3%. In conclusion, a predominance of non-albicans species was observed in our study in conformity with the global trend.

NON-ALBICANS SPECIES: MAIN ACTORS OF CANDIDEMIA? SEVEN-YEAR EXPERIENCE FROM A SINGLE CENTRE

Objective: Candidemia is a major cause of mortality among healthcare-associated infections. Considering the increase in non-albicans species in recent years, it is important to define the treatment approach by identifying Candida at the species level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, risk factors and mortality of patients with candidemia in our hospital. Material and Method: Forty-four patients with Candida species isolated from at least one bottle of blood culture taken during hospitalization between January 2013 and October 2019 were included in the study. Patients’ demographic information, comorbidities, duration of hospitalization and ward, neutropenia, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), steroid administration and invasive device use, antimicrobial treatments used in the last month, source of candidemia, acute phase indicators, Candida species and antifungal resistance, antifungal treatment, clinical response and mortality were evaluated retrospectively. Candida species and antifungal susceptibilities were identified using the automated system VITEK®2 (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France). Results: A total of 44 patients with candidemia participated; the median age was 57, and 27 (61.3%) were male. The median length of stay was 33.5 days. Forty-two (95.4%) of the cases were accompanied by multiple comorbidities, and the most common aetiology was malignancy (59%). Most (97.7%) of the patients had received broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment in the last month. Central venous catheters (CVCs) were used in 35 (79.5%) of the cases and 50% of them were treated with TPN. Candida albicans (54.6%) was the most common species, followed by Candida tropicalis (18.2%). Non-albicans species were observed to increase over time. Thirty-day mortality was 36.3%.Conclusion: Non-albicans candidemia was found to have increased over the years in our study. The main risk factors for candidemia were determined as the presence of comorbidities, especially malignancy, prior broad-spectrum antibiotherapy use, TPN treatment and the presence of CVC. The mortality rate in this study was also consistent with the literature.

Clinical Features and Mortality of Nosocomial Candidemia in Very Old Patients: A Multicentre Italian Study

Introduction: Being elderly is a well-known risk factor for candidemia, but few data are available on the prognostic impact of candidemia in the very old (VO) subjects, as defined as people aged ≥75 years. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for nosocomial candidemia in two groups of candidemia patients, consisting of VO patients (≥75 years) and adult and old (AO) patients (18–74 years). In addition, risk factors for death (30-day mortality) were analysed separately in the two groups. Methods: We included all consecutive candidemia episodes from January 2011 to December 2013 occurring in six referral hospitals in north-eastern Italy. Results: A total of 683 nosocomial candidemia episodes occurred. Of those, 293 (42.9%) episodes were in VO and 390 (57.1%) in AO patients. Hospitalization in medical wards, chronic renal failure, urinary catheter, and peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) were more common in VO than in AO patients. In the former patient group, adequate antifungal therapy (73.2%) and central venous catheter (CVC) removal (67.6%) occurred less frequently than in AO patients (82.5 and 80%, p < 0.002 and p < 0.004, respectively). Thirty-day mortality was higher in VO compared to AO patients (47.8 vs. 23.6%, p < 0.0001). In AO patients, independent risk factors for death were age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.09, p = 0.038), recent history of chemotherapy (OR 22.01, 95% CI 3.12–155.20, p = 0.002), and severity of sepsis (OR 40.68, 95% CI 7.42–223.10, p < 0.001); CVC removal was associated with higher probability of survival (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03–0.33, p < 0.001). In VO patients, independent risk factors for death were PPN (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.17–10.47, p = 0.025) and hospitalization in medical wards (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.02–6.53, p = 0.046), while CVC removal was associated with improved survival (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.16–1.00, p = 0.050). Conclusion: Thirty-day mortality was high among VO patients and was associated with inadequate management of candidemia, especially in medical wards.