title: [Yeast urinary tract infections. Multicentre study in 14 hospitals belonging to the Buenos Aires City Mycology Network].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary tract infections are a frequent ailment in patients in intensive care units. Candida and other yeasts cause 5-12% of these infections. The value of the finding of any yeast is controversial, and there is no consensus about which parameters are adequate for differentiating urinary infections from colonization or contamination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of patients with funguria, to determine potential cut-off points in cultures (to distinguish an infection from other conditions), to identify the prevalent yeast species, and to determine the value of a second urine sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre study was conducted in intensive care units of 14 hospitals in the Buenos Aires City Mycology Network. The first and second samples of urine from every patient were cultured. The presence of white cells and yeasts in direct examination, colony counts, and the identification of the isolated species, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Yeasts grew in 12.2% of the samples. There was no statistical correlation between the number of white cells and the fungal colony-forming units. Eighty five percent of the patients had indwelling catheters. Funguria was not prevalent in women or in patients over the age of 65. Candida albicans, followed by Candida tropicalis, were the most frequently isolated yeasts. Candida parapsilosis and Candida glabrata appeared less frequently. The same species were isolated in 70% of second samples, and in 23% of the cases the second culture was negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was not possible to determine a useful cut-off point for colony counts to help in the diagnosis of urinary infections. As in other publications, C. albicans, followed by C. tropicalis, were the most prevalent species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Unidad Micología, Hospital de Infecciosas F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: aliarecha@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arechavala
authors.affiliation: Sección Microbiología, Hospital General de Agudos J. A. Fernández, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guelfand
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bacteriología, Micología y Parasitología, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno (CEMIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Relloso
authors.affiliation: Sección Microbiología, Hospital General de Agudos I. Pirovano, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbasz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009172:Mycology / Q000458:organization & administration; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D013045:Species Specificity; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Candiduria; Funguria; Infección urinaria por levaduras; Yeast urinary tract infections