[Candida in biological human samples]

Infections by Candida have been raising in the last decades, and risk factors, mainly immunosuppression and the appearance of Candida no albicans, are determinants in the prognosis of these mycoses. The purpose of this investigation was to identify and establish the prevalence of C. albicans and Candida spp. in candidiases, in patients to the Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo, whose biological samples were processed for both direct examination and cultures, needed for the proper identification. From October 1996 to October 1998, isolation and identification of yeasts of Candida were performed in 177 biological samples: 73 (41.24%) Candida albicans and 104 (58.75%) Candida spp. Both blastoconidias and pseudohyphae were found in 34 samples (19.21%), 24 of which (70.5%) were diagnosed as C. albicans and 10 (29.5%), as Candida spp. Blastoconidias identified by direct method were distributed as C. albicans 34.2% and Candida spp. 65.7%. C. albicans was found more often in intertrigo, sputum and in bronquial lavage samples. Candida spp. was more frequent in nails. Candidiasis is a frequently diagnosed mycosis in hospitals, mainly among immunossuppresed patients. It is very important to use direct microscopical evaluation and cultures, in order to establish the presence of blastoconidias and pseudohyphae, that will help to diagnose the aethiology and prevalence of candidiasis. It is also important to recognize subungueal candidiasis in hospital staff, that could spread the infection to inpatients.