Candidiasis: Prevalence and resistance profiling in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.

Bushra Jamil, Aga Khan University
Mohammad Tauseef Mukhtar Bokhari, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad.
Azhar Saeed,, Al-Sayed Hospital (Pvt) Ltd. Rawalpindi.
Mohammad Zahid Mukhtar Bokhari, Al-Sayed Hospital (Pvt) Ltd. Rawalpindi.
Zakir Hussain, Al-Sayed Hospital (Pvt) Ltd. Rawalpindi.
Tayyaba Khalid, Al-Sayed Hospital (Pvt) Ltd. Rawalpindi.
Habib Bokha, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad.
Mohammad Imran, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad.
Shahid Ahmad Abbasi, Al-Sayed Hospital (Pvt) Ltd. Rawalpindi.

Abstract

Objective: To determine Candida colonisation/infection in renal transplant patients and to determine the resistance pattern against antifungal drugs.

Method: This prospective, observational study was conducted at Al-Sayyed Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to October 2014, in collaboration with the Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory's, Islamabad campus..The clinical specimens investigated included respiratory tract secretions, blood, urine, high vaginal swab, skin scrapings, and plastic devices samples.

Results: Of the 7,850 samples, 164(2.08%) were positive for Candida. Candida albicans were most prevalent as they were found in 114(69%) samples. Besides, 56(34%) of the positive samples were resistant to one or more antifungal agents. Highest resistance was obtained against fluconazole. We found only 5(3.04%) positive samples of Candida glabrata; of them, 3(60%)were resistant. In case of Candida spp, 27(48%) resistance was observed. In Candida albicans, 23(41%) of the samples were found to be resistant. Most of the Candida isolates was recovered from bronchial alveolar lavage.

Conclusion: Although Candida albicans remained the main responsible species for Candida infections, but nonalbican Candida species are also emerging.