Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract
Published on: July 1, 2020
[Candida peritonitis: Prevalence and risk factors]
María José Hernández1, Josep Balaguer, Rocío Armero
1Servicio de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor, Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Valencia, España.
Background:
A peritoneal fluid with a positive culture for Candida in patients with associated clinical symptoms enables peritoneal candidiasis (PC) to be diagnosed. This etiology is related to a poor prognosis, thus, it is important to know all the risk factors and to start early an empirical treatment. The risk factors associated with this kind of peritonitis are to receive prolonged antibiotic treatment, nosocomial infection, female gender, involvement of the upper gastro-intestinal (UGI) tract, and the ocurrence of an intraoperative cardiovascular failure (CVF).
Aims:
The principal aim was to determine the prevalence of PC in our hospital, and the secondary aims to determine the associated risk factors.
Methods:
We obtained samples from 74 patients diagnosed with peritonitis, consecutively from 2007 to 2010. Cultures were performed with the free peritoneal fluid aspirated during surgery.
Results:
The prevalence of PC obtained in our hospital was 17.6%, from which 46.15% corresponded to Candida albicans. The involvement of the UGI tract and the onset of CVF can be considered risk factors for the development of this pathology. Age, gender, nosocomial infection and previous antibiotic treatment were not related to this pathology.
Conclusions:
Our prevalence of PC is 17.6%. The risk factors that could predispose are the involvement of the UGI tract as the cause of peritonitis, and CVF during surgical procedure.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Cholecystitis
Gastritis II: Pathophysiology
Appendicitis
Peritoneal Dialysis II: Peritoneal Dialysis Systems and Complications
Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...

