title: Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of blood Candida isolates at a tertiary hospital in southern Taiwan, 1999-2006.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of candidaemia, consumption of fluconazole and susceptibility of blood Candida isolates at a tertiary hospital. From January 1999 to September 2006, all candidaemic episodes were identified and available strains were evaluated for the susceptibilities of antifungal agents. Annual defined daily doses of antifungal agents were collected. There had been 909 Candida isolates detected from the bloodstream of 843 patients during the study period. Among them, 740 isolates were available for the susceptibilities of antifungal agents. The incidence density of candidaemia was 28 episodes per 10,000 patient-days. Species distribution of 909 isolates did not vary annually, but varied greatly in the units of the hospital. Candida parapsilosis was the more prominent (30.1%) isolate in the paediatric units, where C. tropicalis and C. glabrata were less common (12.3% and 1.4% respectively). Resistance rates for itraconazole, fluconazole and voriconazole were 6.9%, 3.8% and 3.8% respectively. There were 25 (3.4%) isolates resistant to amphotericin-B. Although fluconazole usage increased over time (r(2) = 0.45; P = 0.07), fluconazole resistance did not increase accordingly (P = 0.33). In our institution in which the incidence of candidaemia was high, fluconazole resistance among blood Candida isolates remained rare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Po-Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hsiu-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Chi-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hsin-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chia-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Nan-Yao
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: An-Huei
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Liang
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Nai-Ying
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Ching-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wen-Chien
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001393:Azoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058387:Candidemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001393:Azoles; D000666:Amphotericin B