Abstract ▼ AI-Helper

Background - Candida glabrata has emerged as an important pathogen because of increasing proportion of this species among candidemia and its increased resistance to azole antifungals. However, very little is known about the epidemiology of C. glabrata infection. This study was performed to evaluate ...

Background - Candida glabrata has emerged as an important pathogen because of increasing proportion of this species among candidemia and its increased resistance to azole antifungals. However, very little is known about the epidemiology of C. glabrata infection. This study was performed to evaluate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of C. glabrata candidemia by comparing with those of Candida albicans.

Methods - All adult patients (>18 years old) with candidemia who were admitted to 2 tertiary university hospitals in Korea during 8-year periods from 2007 through 2014 were included. Demographic and clinical data were collected retrospectively by reviewing the electronic medical records.

Results - Among 264 adult patients (>18 years old) who admitted at two tertiary hospitals from 2007 to 2014, 205 were C. albicans and 59 were C. glabrata. Early-onset candidemia, defined as presence of a positive blood culture drawn within 48 hours after hospital admission, were significantly common in C. glabrata compared with C. albicans (35.6% vs. 15.1%; P < 0.001). In patients with early-onset C. glabrata candidemia, 71.4% and 14.3% of candidemias were healthcare associated and community acquired, respectively. Patients with C. albicans candidemia were more likely to receive antibacterial agents (90.7% vs. 79.7%; P = 0.020) and parenteral nutrition (81.5% vs. 57.6%, P <0.001). However, genitourinary source of infection was more likely with C. glabrata infection (11.9% vs. 4.4%; P = 0.034). Thirty-day crude and candidemia-related mortality rates were similar between patients with C. glabrata candidemia and those with C. albicans (54.7% vs. 57.3% and 35.8% vs. 38.4%; P = 0.738, each).

Conclusion - Patients with C. glabrata candidemia are more likely to be early-onset candidemia and have a genitourinary source of infection compared with patients with C. albicans.

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