Invasive candidiasis in intensive care units in China: Risk factors and prognoses of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida infections.

Background: To investigate the risk factors and prognoses of patients with invasive Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida (NAC) infection in intensive care units (ICUs) in China.

Methods: Between November 2009 and April 2011, we performed a prospective study of critically ill patients with invasive Candida infection from 67 ICUs across China to compare the risk factors and mortality between patients with C albicans and NAC infection.

Results: There were 306 patients with proven invasive Candida; 244 cases (a total 389 Candida isolates) were sent to laboratory for strain identification (C albicans, 40.1%; NAC, 59.9%). More patients admitted for surgery or trauma had NAC infection than C albicans infection. C albicans infection was more common in patients with subclavian vein catheters or peritoneal drainage tubes. Compared with patients with C albicans infection, patients with NAC infection had longer antifungal therapy (P < .001), longer ICU (P = .004) or hospital stay (P = .002), and slightly higher mortality (38.4% vs 29.6%), but the difference was not significant (P = .17).

Conclusions: C albicans remains the most common pathogen in candidiasis in critical care patients. However, the number of NAC infections exceeded C albicans infections. Compared with patients with C albicans infection, patients with NAC infection had heavier disease burdens.