Peer Review: Candida bloodstream infection and antifungal susceptibility over three years in a single center from Medinah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In the healthcare setting, Candida bloodstream infections significantly increase morbidity and mortality. There is little proof that invasive infections in Saudi Arabia are brought on by Candida spp. To identify Candida species that cause bloodstream infections, as well as to ascertain the clinical outcome and risk factors for mortality in a Saudi Arabian tertiary hospital. This retrospective analysis covered all instances in which patients hospitalized to Ohud hospital, a tertiary care facility in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2019 and December 2021, had positive blood cultures for Candida. Anaerobic and aerobic Bactec bottles were inoculated with blood samples, and they were then incubated at 35°C for five days. Identification-YST card kits from VITEK II (Biomerieux, France) for yeast and yeast-like organisms. Testing for antifungal susceptibility was done using AST YS07. A total of 78 patients (71% men, 29% women) were found to have candidemia. Candida albicans (51.3%), Candida parapsilosis (16.7%), and Candida tropicalis (16.7%) were the three Candida spp. that were most frequently isolated. Those with Saudi (51%; P = 0.500), leukopenia (40%; P = 0.001), neutrophilia (92%; P = 0.638), and thrombocytopenia (42%; P = 0.374) had a higher incidence of candidemia. Fluconazole sensitivity in non-albicans ranged from 39.5%. Nonetheless, caspofungin was effective against all species. This study discovered an epidemiological shift toward more non-albicans Candida spp. in Saudi Arabia as well as a changing pattern in the Candida spp. causing bloodstream infections.