title: Observational study on candidaemia at a university hospital in southern Italy from 1998 to 2004.
abstract: In an observational study on candidaemia in hospitalised patients, conducted in a southern Italy hospital during 1998-2004, 155 cases were noted. Candida albicans (CA) was isolated in 71 (45.8%) cases involving mainly patients recovered in ICU, General Surgery and Neonatology. Candida non-albicans (CnA) species were isolated by 84 (54.2%) candidaemic patients, and in particular, Candida parapsilosis was the most frequent species isolated in Pediatric Oncology. 91.6% of the patients had a central venous catheter and only 46.4% were receiving antifungal prophylaxis. Among these patients, 87.5% (63) developed CnA infections; in particular, 41 patients had a C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection. During our study, we observed a variable drift from 1998 to 2003; we registered an evident increment of CnA candidaemia (76.9%) and a decrease of CA cases (23%) only in 2004. The mortality was 26.7%, and we observed that CA was associated with the highest rate of mortality (53.6%). Although Candida infections are correlated primarily with risk factors, their resolution depends on timely diagnosis and early therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Hygiene Section, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. caggianog@igiene.uniba.it
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caggiano
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iatta
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laneve
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Montagna
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D018890:Chemoprevention; D016469:Fungemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents