Introduction:

Invasive candidiasis is nosocomial. It occurs mainly in patients with immunosuppression or a history of risk factors such as surgery, parenteral nutrition or extensive antibiotic regimens. The emergence of resistance to commonly used antifungals has generated great concern globally.

Objective:

To describe the microbiological profile of Candida species isolated from blood cultures of the pediatric population.

Material and methods:

This was a retrospective, observational and descriptive prevalence study. Blood cultures were taken from pediatric patients during the 2019 to 2023 time period at a referral hospital. For identification and sensitivity measurement, MS-MALDITOFF® and commercial microdilution plates were used.

Results:

48 Candida strains were included, 30% of patients with positive yeast cultures were infants and newborns. Isolation was more frequent in patients admitted to intensive care and neonatal wards. The most frequent species were C. parapsilosis (37%), C. albicans (30%), C. tropicalis (21%), followed by other non-albicans Candida species to a lesser extent. Sensitivity to fluconazole was 94% for C. parapsilosis. The rest of the strains did not present resistance to voriconazole or fluconazole.

Conclusion:

The Candida species most frequently isolated in blood cultures were C. parapsilosis, C. albicans and C. tropicalis, affecting mainly newborns and infants. Sensitivity to voriconazole remains at 100%, but dose-dependent strains resistant to fluconazole have appeared. A cut-off point for amphotericin B needs to be defined.

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