Candidemia in a pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre

Background: Candidemia is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized neonates and pediatric patients especially in intensive care units. Objective: The present study was planned to assess the prevalence of candidemia in neonatal and pediatric patients admitted to P.I.C.U. Method: A cross-sectional prospective study was carried out in pediatric patients admitted to the P.I.C.U of Sassoon General Hospital. A total of 485 blood samples from clinically suspected cases of blood stream infections of pediatric age group collected over six months were included in the present study. Candidemia was diagnosed by isolation of a pure culture of Candida spp. from at least one blood culture with supportive clinical features. Result: From 485 clinically suspected cases of blood stream infections; a total of 5 (1.03%) cases were confirmed as candidemia. All the confirmed cases of candidemia were observed in neonates. Presence of intravascular catheter was the most common risk factor associated with all (100%) the cases followed by low birth weight (80%). Four (80%) cases of candidemia belonged to non-albicans Candida, whereas only one was caused by Candida albicans. Interpretation and Conclusion: Prevalence of candidemia among clinically suspected cases of blood stream infections was 1.03%. All the confirmed cases of candidemia belonged to age group of 0 to 12 months. Presence of intravascular catheters was the most important risk factor followed by low birth weight. A shift observed in the etiological agents from Candida albicans to non-albicans Candida. It is important to identify the species as non-albicans Candida are more likely to be resistant to antifungal agents