[Systemic yeast infections in a general hospital. Correlation between study of susceptibility in vitro and patient survival to the fungal infection episode].
BACKGROUND
Fungi are important causal agents of nosocomial infections, that usually have high mortality rates.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the species distribution and susceptibility patterns of deep yeast infections in a General Hospital and to correlate those results with patient survival.


METHODS
Twenty one strains (from five pediatric and 16 from adult patients) were studied. Antifungal Susceptibility Testing (AST) to Amphotericin B (Anfb), Fluorocytosine (5FC), Fluconazole (FZ) and Itraconazole (IZ) was performed according to the EUCAST document. Clinical data of patients was obtained and survival to the infection was recorded.


RESULTS
C. albicans was isolated in 11 samples (52%), C. parapsilosis in three samples (14%), C. glabrata in two samples (9%), C. tropicalis in one sample (5%) and C. neoformans in four samples (19%). Twenty three percent of fungi were recovered at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. The MICs ranged between 0.25 and 0.5 microgram/mL for Anfb; between 0.25 and 16 micrograms/ml for SFC, between 0.12 and 32 micrograms/mL for FZ and 0.015 and 0.5 microgram/mL for IZ. No association between antifungal susceptibility and patient survival was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
C. albicans continues to be the most frequently isolated yeast, however, non-albicans species are an emergent group causing nosocomial infections. Surgical procedures are the main source of fungal infections in this sample.
Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital Dr. Sótero del Río, Av. Concha y Toro 3459, Puente Alto. cvtapia@entelchile.net
Cecilia
C
Tapia
Patricia
P
González
M C
MC
Díaz
Valerie
V
Corvalán
Marcela
M
Gaete
Manuel
M
Cuenca-Estrella
J L
JL
Rodríguez-Tudela
D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012307:Risk Factors
D000935:Antifungal Agents