[The fungal infections in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit].
BACKGROUND
Over the last years, systemic fungal infections have dramatically increased in hospitalized patients. The Candida is the main pathogen caused nosocomial fungal infections.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to analyze frequency of occurrence of the yeast-like fungi in different biological materials isolated from the patients of an Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of Lodz in the period of 2000-2003.


METHODS
123 strains of fungi were analyzed with the use of API 20 C AUX test (bioMarieux).


RESULTS
Among all the investigated Candida strains C. albicans accounted for 52.0%. Samples from respiratory system and urine most often contained the strains of C. albicans (56.3 and 60.5%, respectively); blood samples contained C. parapsilosis (44.8%). In patients who were untreated by bacterial antibiotics C. albicans was the most frequent species, whereas in patients who were ordered bacterial antibiotics it was C. parapsilosis that dominated.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) Candida is the most frequent cause of fungal infections in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit. (2) C. parapsilosis is the main pathogen caused bloodstream infections. This species is also more frequent in patients who were ordered antibacterial antibiotics over five days. (3). Species other than C. albicans become more and more frequent and dangerous.
Kurnatowski
Piotr
P
Zakład Biologii i Parazytologii Lekarskiej Katedry Biologii i Genetyki Medycznej, Uniwersytet Medyczny, Pl. Hallera 1, 90-647 Lódź. katbiol@poczta.onet.pl
Wieczorek
Andrzej
A
Gaszyński
Tomasz
T
Tyczkowska-Sieroń
Ewa
E
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
D000935:Antifungal Agents