[Susceptibility of yeasts to antifungal agents in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital].
The aim of this study was to determine the species of yeast and their susceptibility to antifungal agents isolated from clinical specimens of patients treated in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital.


METHODS
A total of 142 yeasts isolated from various clinical specimens of patients hospitalized in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital were included in this study. All yeasts were cultivated on Sabouraud dextrose agar and identified using either CHROM agar or API 20C AUX system. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B were determined by the ATB FUNGUS 2 agar microdilution test.


RESULTS
In all clinical specimens except blood, Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated yeast (65.5%, p<0.05). In 50% of cases, Candida parapsilosis was isolated from the blood. In vitro 15.1% of Candida albicans strains and 33.3% of Candida krusei strains were resistant to fluconazole. Twelve percent of yeast strains showed resistance to fluconazole. Nearly one-fourth of Candida albicans strains (24.7%) and 23.2% of all isolated yeast strains showed resistance to itraconazole. Almost all of fluconazole-resistant (93.3%) and 12.6% of fluconazole-susceptible yeast were found to be resistant to itraconazole (p<0.001). All of the fluconazole-resistant and 13.2% of fluconazole-susceptible strains were found to be resistant to itraconazole (p<0.001). All isolated yeast strains were susceptible to amphotericin B. Candida albicans strains were significantly frequently resistant to fluconazole than non-albicans Candida species (15.1% and 4.1%, respectively, p<0.05). Resistance of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species to itraconazole was the same (24.7% and 20.4%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Candida albicans is the most common yeast isolated in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital. There was determined that yeasts resistant to fluconazole were commonly resistant to itraconazole too. All isolated yeast strains were susceptible to amphotericin B.
Skrodeniene
Erika
E
Department of Microbiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. erika.s@takas.lt
Dambrauskiene
Asta
A
Vitkauskiene
Astra
A