Background: Candidemia is the most common nosocomial invasive fungal infection that causes high mortality. Emergence of drug-resistant Candida is reported worldwide but there are few studies in Thailand.

Objective: To determine the epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility of Candida, and outcomes among adult patients with candidemia.

Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study in adult patients with candidemia was conducted in 2015 at a university hospital. Demographic, microbiological, and outcome data were recorded.

Results: Fifty-two patients with candidemia were identified, of whom 76.9% had an underlying disease and 69.2% had risks for candidemia. Sixty-four percent of candidemia patients contracted non-albicans Candida and 36% had Candida albicans. C. tropicalis was the most common non-albicans Candida species isolated (35%), followed by C. parapsilosis (19%), and C. glabrata (10%). Fluconazole resistance was found in 12.5% of C. albicans and in 11.1% of C. parapsilosis isolates. Reduced fluconazole susceptibility or high-level fluconazole resistance was found in 68.7% of C. tropicalis isolates. All except C. parapsilosis had excellent susceptibility to echinocandins. Seventy-three percent (38/52) of patients received antifungal treatment, of whom, 78.9% received empiric fluconazole therapy, and 89.7% were started on antifungal treatment 24 hours after the isolation of Candida. The overall mortality rate was 51.9%.

Conclusion: Fluconazole-resistant Candida became more prevalent particularly in C. tropicalis, which was the predominant species among non-albicans Candida causing candidemia. Empiric treatment with either amphotericin B or echinocandins would be appropriate in high-risk patients with suspected candidemia.

Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR20150605001

Keywords: Candida, Fluconazole, Resistant, Thailand

DOI: doi.org/10.35755/jmedassocthai.2020.10.10822

Received 28 October 2019 | Revised 23 December 2019 | Accepted 26 December 2019