title: [Clinical features of Candida albicans sepsis in preterm infants: an analysis of 13 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical features of Candida albicans sepsis in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 13 preterm infants with Candida albicans sepsis, who were born at 28 to 36 weeks of gestational age and who weighed between 1400 and 2815 g.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The infants were infected with Candida albicans at the age of 19±11 d, with the main clinical manifestations being apnea, poor response, poor skin perfusion, blood oxygen concentration decrease, dark skin, yellowish skin, heart rate increase in the rest state, copious phlegm and difficulty in weaning from the ventilator. The infants showed significantly decreased platelet and increased C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet distribution width (PDW), alanine transaminase (ALT), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB), total bilirubin (TBIL), creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). CK and LDH were significantly decreased after 2 weeks of antifungal therapy. Only 3 cases developed drug resistance to fluconazole and these showed response when treated with voriconazole instead. Of the 13 cases, 10 were cured, 2 abandoned therapy and 1 died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical manifestations of Candida albicans sepsis are nonspecific in preterm infants. Infectious diseases are probably caused by Candida albicans in preterm infants 2-3 weeks after birth. Preterm infants show decreased platelet and increased CRP, PDW, ALT, CK-MB, TBIL, CK, and LDH when infected with Candida albicans.
authors.affiliation: Department of NICU, Bayi Children's Hospital of The General Military Hospital of Beijing, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Zhi-Xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jie-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhi-Chun
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058387:Candidemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male