Mycoses
-
Invasive candidiasis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. However, limited data are available on the epidemiology of this infection in paediatric settings in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, microbial epidemiology, risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with candidaemia in intensive care units at the Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. ⋯ The overall mortality rate was 42.5%. Non-albicans Candida species accounted for nearly half of the cases of paediatric candidaemia. This is the first prospective study of candidaemia in paediatric settings in Iran and serves to inform necessary interventions for the prevention of candidaemia.
-
The diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) increasingly relies on non-culture-based biomarkers in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. The Aspergillus lateral flow device (LFD) is a rapid immunoassay that uses a novel Aspergillus monoclonal antibody to gain specificity. The objective of the study is to compare specificity and sensitivity of the prototype LFD and the galactomannan (GM) enzyme immunoassay in BAL fluid in high-risk patients. ⋯ The use of anti-mould prophylaxis did not affect specificity but resulted in decreased NPV of both LFD and GM. Union and intersection analysis showed no improvement in the performance by using both tests. Among patients at risk for IPA, the diagnostic performance of LFD and GM in BAL fluid appears comparable; specificity is high, but sensitivity of both LFD and GM is poor.
-
Candida spp. are responsible for 80% of all systemic fungal infections and are associated with high mortality rates. This study characterised 79 bloodstream isolates of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. orthopsilosis, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis from patients in a Brazilian hospital. The susceptibility to amphotericin B, caspofungin, fluconazole and voriconazole was determined; virulence factor production was assessed based on haemolysin, phospholipase and proteinase activities, and the patients' clinical characteristics were analysed. ⋯ In conclusion, although the C. glabrata incidence was higher than that usually described in Brazil, its increase was previously observed in studies conducted worldwide. Furthermore, the azole resistance of the C. albicans isolate could be due to previous exposure to these antifungals. These results highlight the importance of epidemiological studies and will facilitate an improved understanding of candidemia in the studied hospital.