Epidemiology of candidemia in intensive care units

The incidence of candidemia in the overall population ranges from 1.7 to 10 episodes per 100,000 inhabitants and Candida is one of the ten leading causes of bloodstream infections in developed countries. An estimated 33-55% of all episodes of candidemia occur in intensive care units (ICU) and are associated with mortality rates ranging from 5% to 71%. Candida fungemia may have an endogenous or an exogenous origin, and in recent years a growing proportion of episodes of candidemia have been caused by Candida species other than albicans. The most important independent conditions predisposing to candidemia in ICU patients include prior abdominal surgery, intravascular catheters, acute renal failure, parenteral nutrition, broad-spectrum antibiotics, a prolonged ICU stay, the use of corticosteroids and mucosal colonization with Candida. In recent years, several studies have shown that ICU patients with mucosal Candida colonization, particularly if multifocal, are at a higher risk for invasive candidiasis, and that colonization selects a population amenable to antifungal prophylaxis or empirical therapy. Candidemia in ICUs is associated with a considerable increase in hospital costs and length of hospital stay.