Epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility, risk factors and mortality of invasive candidiasis in neonates and children in a tertiary teaching hospital in Southwest China

Background Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates and children; however, little information on the epidemiology of IC in paediatric patients in China is available. Methods A 7-year retrospective study was conducted to analyse the prevalence, species distributions, antifungal susceptibility, risk factors and mortality among paediatric inpatients with IC in a regional tertiary teaching hospital in Southwest China. Results A total of 86 paediatric inpatients with IC during the seven-year study period were identified, with a mean annual incidence of 1.04 cases per 1000 admissions and a neonatal incidence of 2.72 cases per 1000 admissions. The species distributions ofCandida albicansand non-albicans Candidawere 48.8% and 51.2%, respectively. The total resistance rates to fluconazole (FCA), itraconazole (ITR) and voriconazole (VRC) were 8.1%, 26.7% and 14.0%, respectively. Age, length of hospital stay, respiratory dysfunction, hospitalisation duration > 30 days and IC due toC albicansandCandida glabratawere associated with neonatal mortality (P < 0.05) according to univariate analyses. Respiratory dysfunction [odds ratio (OR), 50.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.47-721.44;P = 0.004] was the only independent predictor of neonatal mortality. The overall mortality rate was 8.1%, and only neonatal IC patients died, with a neonatal mortality rate of 13.0%. Conclusions This report shows that the incidence and mortality of IC among neonatal patients warrants increased attention in Southwest China. Clinical interventions should be actively applied to reduce the incidence and mortality of neonatal infection. Fluconazole was a reasonable choice for the treatment of IC prior to species identification.