Comparative evaluation of the antifungal susceptibility of Candida isolates from blood specimens: results of a study in a tertiary care hospital in Bursa, Turkey

Aim: Antifungal susceptibility testing may be an important aid in the treatment of patients with life threatening yeast infections. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of Candida isolates obtained from clinical specimens to the antifungal agents amphotericin B and fluconazole, which are frequently used in our clinical practice. Materials and methods: Susceptibility to antifungal agents was investigated using the Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) and the reference broth macrodilution susceptibility test (CLSI M27-A2). The MICs obtained with each of the methods were read after 24 h and 48 h of incubation. Results: Overall agreement rates within +/- 1 dilution between the 2 methods were 86.7% (24 h) and 94.1% (48 h) for amphotericin B, and 85.5% (24 h) and 73.3% (48 h) for fluconazole. All C. albicans, C. pelliculosa, C. glabrata, and C. kefyr isolates were inhibited by <= 1 mu g mL-1 of amphotericin B, and fluconazole resistance was not observed in C. albicans or C. tropicalis isolates according to the 2 methods. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, decreased susceptibility to fluconazole and amphotericin B was most prominent in C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. glabrata isolates.