Candida parapsilosis Fungemia Associated with Implantable and Semi-Implantable Central Venous Catheters and the Hands of Healthcare Workers

A cluster of six cases of fungemia among hematology, bone marrow transplant, and oncology patients was investigated in a case-control study (18 controls). The use of implantable and semi-implantable central venous catheters was significantly associated with cases ( p = 0.016). The hands of three hea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 1998-04, Vol.30 (4), p.243-249
Main Authors: Levin, A.S, Costa, S.F, Mussi, N.S, Basso, M, Sinto, S.I, Machado, C, Geiger, D.C, Villares, M.C.B, Schreiber, A.Z, Barone, A.A, Branchini, M.L.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Candidiasis - drug therapy
Candidiasis - etiology
Candidiasis - microbiology
Case-Control Studies
Catheterization, Central Venous - adverse effects
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross Infection - drug therapy
Cross Infection - epidemiology
Cross Infection - microbiology
Female
Fungemia - drug therapy
Fungemia - etiology
Fungemia - microbiology
Hand - microbiology
Health Personnel
Human mycoses
Humans
Infectious diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous mycoses
Mycoses
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Summary:A cluster of six cases of fungemia among hematology, bone marrow transplant, and oncology patients was investigated in a case-control study (18 controls). The use of implantable and semi-implantable central venous catheters was significantly associated with cases ( p = 0.016). The hands of three healthcare workers (HCWs) were positive for Candida parapsilosis. Electrophoretic karyotyping showed two profiles among patients and HCWs, and five among six unrelated strains. The profiles of two HCWs matched the ones of the patients they had handled. The patients’ strains were moderate or strong slime producers, whereas none of the HCWs’ were strong producers. In conclusion, our results indicated the occurrence of an outbreak C. parapsilosis fungemia related to long-term central venous catheters in which the hands of HCWs were implicated. The amount of slime production might be associated with the pathogenicity of the strains.
ISSN:0732-8893
1879-0070
DOI:10.1016/S0732-8893(98)00006-6