Microbial profile and drug resistance of Candida strains isolated from the blood of children: an 11-year study.

The latest observations indicate a continuous increase in the frequency of fungal infections, particularly in hospital patients, accompanied by changes in both the profile of the isolated strains and their drug susceptibility. The objective of this study was to evaluate the trend in the incidence of candidaemia and susceptibility of antifungal drugs in the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital over an 11-year period. Blood samples taken from the hospitalised children were sent to the Department of Clinical Microbiology for diagnostic purposes. A total of 195 Candida strains were isolated: 47.7%Candida albicans and 52.3% non-albicans. Candida parapsilosis was isolated in 65.7% of non-albicans strains. The prevalence of Candida spp. decreased from 16.9-20.5% in the years 1996-1997 to 3.1-2.1% in the years 2005-2006. In the years 2000-2005, non-albicans strains were more prevalent. All C. albicans strains were susceptible to amphotericin B, 2.94% of non-C. albicans strains were semisusceptible to amphotericin B, 98.92% of C. albicans and 85.29% of non-albicans strains were susceptible to 5-fluorocytosine. Candida spp. strains are predominant pathogens in fungaemia in children in our hospital. Over the last few years,C. albicans have been replaced by non-albicans strains (predominantly C. parapsilosis), which exhibit a higher level of drug resistance. The number of Candida spp. isolated from blood decreased during the 11-year study.