Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Open Access
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
Uma Devi P1, Sujith S2, Rahul K1, Dipu T S2, Anil Kumar V2, Vidya Menon2
1Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, Kerala, India - 682041 2Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, AIMS Health Sciences Camp
ScientificTracks Abstracts-Workshop: J Pharma Care Health Sys
Candida is an important cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs), causing significant mortality and morbidity. The true burden of candidemia in India is not clear. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and outcome of candidemia at our hospital. A total of 165 episodes of Candida BSI were identified between January 2012 and April 2014, with 115 episodes occurring in adult patients. Most of the episodes occurred in males (69.6%). Nearly 82.6% patients were between 41 to 80 years and majority of the patients were in the intensive care unit (65.2%) at the time of diagnosis. Majority of the candidemia episodes were found in the general medicine department (23.5%) followed by gastrointestinal surgery (13.9%) and medical oncology & hematology (13%). Risk factors identified were prior hospitalization within one year (83.5%), antibiotic therapy within the last one month (64.3%), indwelling urinary catheter (63.5%), central venous catheter use (59.1%), diabetes mellitus (53%), severe sepsis (45.2%), mechanical ventilation (43.5%) and surgery (36.5%). C. tropicalis (30.4%) was the leading cause of infection followed by C. parapsilosis (28.7%) and C. albicans (13%). Other non-albicans species isolated included C. haemulonii (7.8%), C. glabrata (7%), C. famata (4.3%) and C. krusei (1.7%). Antifungal susceptibility to fluconazole was 87.9% (C. parapsilosis), 100% (C. tropicalis) and 93.3% (C. albicans). Mortality was noted in 51 patients (44.3%). To conclude, rapid changes in the rate of infection, potential risk factors, and emergence of non-albicans Candida demand continued surveillance of this serious BSI.
Uma Devi P has completed her Ph. D. in Pharmacology from Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi. She has worked as Research Scientist at Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, Gurgaon. Currently, she is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Kochi. She has published papers in reputed international journals.
Email: umadeviaims@gmail.com