title: In vitro fluconazole susceptibility of 1565 clinical isolates of Candida species evaluated by the disk diffusion method performed using NCCLS M44-A guidelines.
abstract: We determined the in vitro activity of fluconazole against 1565 clinical Candida spp. isolates collected from different specimens of non-AIDS outpatients and inpatients in 3 different regions of Italy. Susceptibility testing was performed by agar disk diffusion using the NCCLS document M44-A guidelines. Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated yeast (68%) followed by C. glabrata (15%), C. tropicalis (5%), C. parapsilosis (5%), and C. krusei (5%). Other yeasts represented 4% of all isolates. Of the 1565 isolates tested, 1449 (92.6%) were susceptible (S) to fluconazole, 43 (2.7%) were susceptible dose-dependent (S-DD) and 73 (4.7%) were resistant (R). Almost all (98.2%) of the C. albicans isolates were classified as S or S-DD. Despite its widespread use, fluconazole displayed good activity against the isolates we tested, and the disk diffusion method was confirmed as a reliable approach to the evaluation of in vitro susceptibility of yeasts to this antimycotic agent.
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Public Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Piero
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Testore
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dori
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Buonomini
authors.forename: Gian Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Soro
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fortina
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andreoni
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tullio
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreoni
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole