Five-Year Laboratory-Based Study of Candida Albicans Versus Non-Albicans Candida Species at a Tertiary Pediatric Care Hospital in Iran



Mahmoudi S^{1, 2} ; Haghiashtiani MT³ ; Alimi R⁴ ; Charsizadeh A⁵ ; Ahmadikia K¹ ; Nikmanesh B⁶
Source: Kuwait Medical Journal Published:2020

Abstract

Objective: To determine the distribution of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species in various specimen types of pediatric patients Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study using laboratory database Setting: Children’s Medical Center, Tehran, Iran from 2012 to 2016 Subjects: All specimens from pediatric patients with positive culture for Candida species in microbiological examinations Intervention: None Main outcome measures: Frequency of Candida species in different specimen types for five years Results: During the study period, 2755 out of 2,95,525 (0.93%) specimens were positive for Candida growth in culture. Of them, 550 (19.96%) were from normally sterile specimens or sites. C. albicans was the predominant species (68.9%), significantly isolated from both genders (P=.009), and all age groups (P=.011). However, in 2014 and 2015, almost 50% of isolates from normally sterile specimens or sites were non-albicans Candida species. Urine samples were the greatest source of isolation (n=1314, 47.7%), followed by throat swabs (n=472, 17.1%) and blood specimens (n=344, 12.5%). Children were the prevailing age group for Candida isolation (n=1435, 52.1%), followed by infants (n=1012, 36.7%) and neonates (n=308, 11.2%). Conclusion: C. albicans was the dominant species in Children’s Medical Center. However, the proportion of non-albicans Candida species was higher in some specimen types and the frequency of Candida species was different in various wards. These data could be beneficial in a clinical setting. © 2020, Kuwait Medical Association. All rights reserved.