Candida colonization in intensive care unit patients' urine

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2006-01, Vol.100 (8)
• Main Authors: Xisto Sena Passos, Werther Souza Sales, Patrícia Jackeline Maciel, Carolina Rodrigues Costa, Karla Carvalho Miranda, Janine de Aquino Lemos, Miranildes de Abreu Batista, Maria do Rosário Rodrigues Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: nosocomial infections - predisposing factors - intensive care unit - Candida spp. - Brazil
• ISSN: 1678-8060

The objective of this study was to identify possible predisposing factors for candiduria in intensive care unit (ICU) patients from Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil, during one year. Urine samples from 153 ICU patients were obtained by catheterization on admission day and every seven days. Data such as sex, age, antifungal therapy, and variables as antibiotics, underlying diseases or comorbid conditions and stay in the hospital, were collected from patients who had at least one urine culture that yielded ≥ 103 yeast colonies/ml. Candiduria was recovered in 68 patients and the commonest predisposing factors were antibiotic therapy (100%) and indwelling urinary catheter (92.6%). The percentage of Candida spp. isolation increased during the extended periods in which patients remained in the ICU. Candida albicans was isolated in 69.1%, and the other species non-albicans as Candida glabrata , Candida kefyr , Candida parapsilosis , Candida famata , Candida guilliermondii , Candida krusei , and Candida tropicalis were isolated in lower percentage. The high frequency of candiduria and the possible predisposing factors found in ICU patients show that candiduria surveillance should be performed to help reducing nosocomial infections.