[Multicenter study on nosocomial candidiasis in the Republic of Argentina]

A multicenter study was performed between April and September 1998 with the participation of 12 medical centers located in 8 different provinces and in the capital city of Argentina. The aim of this study was to determine the species distribution and the antifungal susceptibility profile of isolates causing nosocomial fungal infections. All the fungal isolates obtained were sent to the Mycology Department for reference identification and antifungal susceptibility testing. Eighty-nine isolates were received from different clinical specimens. The distribution of species obtained was C. albicans (50.6%), C. tropicalis (22.5%), C. parapsilosis (20.2%), C. krusei (3.4%), C. glabrata (2.2%) and Debaryomyces hansenii (1.1%). Most of the isolates (85/88) had MICs for amphotericin B < or = 1 microgram/ml, C. krusei showed resistance to fluconazole but was dose dependent susceptible to itraconazole, C. glabrata (2/2) were resistant against both drugs, most of the isolates of C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis were susceptible to these triazole drugs. These data showed a different distribution of Candida species compared with results obtained in other countries. The low frequency of appearance of C. krusei and C. glabrata in our country suggests a reduced selective pressure by triazoles.