EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ADULT CANDIDEMIA AT CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

A retrospective study was conducted between July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2009 at Chiang Mai University Hospital among 138 patients with candidemia; 85 patients (61.6%) were male and the mean age was 57.7 +/- 19.4 years. Seventy-eight patients (56.5%) had underlying medical conditions. Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida were identified in 42 (30.4%) and 96 (69.6%) patients, respectively. Not being admitted to the ICU was the only factor associated with non-albicans candidemia (p=0.018). Sixty patients (43.5%) had favorable outcomes. Factors independently associated with unfavorable outcomes included patients who were in the ICU (p=0.025), were intubated (p<0.001) or were on hemodialysis (p=0.031); prior abdominal surgery was associated with a favorable outcome (p=0.026). Candidemia is not a rare condition at this hospital. Early recognition and prompt empirical treatment are essential to improve outcomes of patients at risk for developing candidemia. Improvement of surveillance is crucial to recognizing emergence of highly resistant strains of Candida spp.