Epidemiological study of Candida spp. colonization in cardiovascular surgical patients.

Candida infections involve multiple risk factors. Among the independent risk factors identified, the degree of colonization of Candida spp. allows the prediction of subsequent severe candidosis in surgical patients. The aim of this study was to assess among 13 selected variables, those that would best predict the perioperative variation of the colonization index (CI) of Candida spp. in cardiovascular surgical patients. The colonization index took into account the number of sites colonized and the density of growth. The results showed that 56.8% of our patients were colonized perioperatively. A total of 116 isolates were identified and Candida albicans accounted for 76.7% of the strains. Among the patients who developed post-surgical Candida infections, 57.1% had an increase of the CI early after the operation. By univariate analysis, three factors were significantly associated with an increase of the CI in patients after surgery; sex (female), the duration of central intravascular catheterization and the length of stay in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Epidemiological data could help predict those patients who are at risk of developing Candida infections.