Secular trends of candidemia in a large tertiary-care hospital from 1988 to 2000: emergence of Candida parapsilosis.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the secular trends of candidemia in a large tertiary-care hospital to determine the overall incidence, as well as the incidence by ward and by species, and to detect the occurrence of outbreaks.


METHODS
Retrospective descriptive analysis. Secular trends were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel test.


METHODS
A large tertiary-care referral center in Spain with a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) to which more than 500 children with congenital cardiac disease are admitted annually.


METHODS
All patients with candidemia occurring from 1988 to 2000 were included. Cases were identified from laboratory records of blood cultures.


RESULTS
There were 331 episodes of candidemia. The overall incidence of nosocomial candidemia was 0.6 episode per 1,000 admissions and remained stable throughout the study period (P = .925). The species most frequently isolated was Candida albicans, but the incidence of C. parapsilosis candidemia increased (P = .035). In the pediatric ICU, the incidence of C. parapsilosis was 5.6 episodes per 1,000 admissions and it was the predominant species. Outbreaks occurred occasionally in the pediatric ICU, suggesting nosocomial transmission.


CONCLUSIONS
During this 13-year period, the incidence of candidemia remained stable in this hospital, but C. parapsilosis increased in frequency. Occasional outbreaks of candidemia suggested nosocomial transmission of Candida species.
San Miguel
Lucia Garcia
LG
Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain. lgarcias.hrc@salud.madrid.org
Cobo
Javier
J
Otheo
Enrique
E
Sánchez-Sousa
Aurora
A
Abraira
Victor
V
Moreno
Santiago
S
D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D016469:Fungemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology