Study of Candida Species in Various Clinical Samples in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Jaggi, Tavleen Urhekar, Anant Dattatray Pai, Chitra Hodiwala, Anahita Bhesania Gore, Shalini Kar, H. Hamisheh
Copyright Year	2014
Abstract	Candida species have emerged as major causes of human disease, especially among the immunocompromised and those hospitalized with serious co-morbid conditions. The morbidity and mortality associated with these infections are significant and Candidal infections have emerged as important public health problems. Increasing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, intravascular catheters, cytotoxic chemotherapies, invasive surgical procedures and long duration of hospital stay are few of the pre-disposing risk factors. The aim of the study was to identify the various species of Candida from clinical specimens (urine, sputum, stool, pus, various body fluids, skin and corneal scrapings, medical implants and blood) suspected of Candidal infection. A total of 125 Candida isolates from various clinical specimens were taken up for the study during a period of two years. They were further speciated by the germ tube test, chlamydospore formation on Corn Meal Agar and carbohydrate utilization patterns by Sugar Assimilation Tests. Candida was mainly isolated from blood (42) and respiratory samples (25). The most common species of Candida isolated was C. albicans forming 44% of the total isolates. The non-albicans candida species form the remaining 56% of the total isolates, thus stressing their emergence as major fungal pathogens. The species level identification of Candida is important due to variation in sensitivities of various species to different antifungals and also due to limited therapeutic options because of emergence of resistance to antifungals.
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Alternate Webpage(s)	http://doublehelixresearch.com/files/journals/dhr-ijms/vol-5/issue-2/2.pdf
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article