Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Quantifying the Antifungal Activity of Peptides Against Candida albicans
06:45

Quantifying the Antifungal Activity of Peptides Against Candida albicans

Published on: January 13, 2023

2.8K

Evaluation of Candida colonization and use of the Candida Colonization Index in a paediatric Intensive Care Unit: a

Yasemin Ay Altintop1, Ayse Betul Ergul2, Ayse Nedret Koc3

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Health Science University of Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.

Le Infezioni in Medicina
|June 18, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The Candida colonization index (CI) shows 100% specificity and negative predictive value, effectively ruling out invasive fungal disease in children. However, its low sensitivity and positive predictive value limit its reliability for forecasting candidiasis in pediatric intensive care units.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Invasive candidiasis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in intensive care units.
  • The Candida colonization index (CI) is utilized as an early warning tool for invasive candidiasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of the Candida colonization index (CI) in predicting invasive candidiasis in children.
  • To assess the CI's forecasting capability in a medical pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 87 pediatric patients (1 month to 16 years) in a medical PICU.
  • Cultures (swab, urine, blood) performed weekly; CI calculated based on colonization.
  • Inclusion criteria: no antifungal therapy, expected PICU stay >7 days, no recent PICU history.

Main Results:

  • Candida spp. grew in 576 cultures; C. albicans was the most common isolate (64.5%).
  • Invasive candidiasis occurred in 4 patients (3 C. albicans, 1 C. parapsilosis).
  • CI demonstrated 100% specificity and 100% negative predictive value, but only 33.73% sensitivity and 6.7% positive predictive value.

Conclusions:

  • The CI is valuable for ruling out invasive fungal disease in pediatric intensive care units due to its high specificity and negative predictive value.
  • Low sensitivity and positive predictive value indicate the CI is less reliable for forecasting invasive candidiasis in this pediatric population.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Candida albicans Detection in Catheter Infections Using Fluorescent Protein Tagging03:24

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Candida albicans Detection in Catheter Infections Using Fluorescent Protein Tagging

Published on: March 22, 2024

2.1K
A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms06:50

A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms

Published on: September 16, 2022

3.6K

Related Concept Videos

The Colonization of Land02:22

The Colonization of Land

Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
37.5K
Observational Studies01:11

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
10.8K
Measurement: Derived Units03:02

Measurement: Derived Units

The International System of Units or SI system, by international agreement, has fixed measurement units for seven fundamental properties: length, mass, time, temperature, electric current, amount of substance, and luminosity. These are called the SI base units.
54.5K
Measurement: Standard Units03:38

Measurement: Standard Units

Every measurement provides three kinds of information: the size or magnitude of the measurement (a number), a standard of comparison for the measurement (a unit), and an indication of the uncertainty of the measurement. While the number and unit are explicitly represented when a quantity is written, the uncertainty is an aspect of the errors in the measurement results.
78.7K
Varicose Veins II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:26

Varicose Veins II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

Varicose veins, or varicosities, develop when the valves in the veins, which control blood flow, weaken or damage. It causes blood to pool and the veins to enlarge. Understanding the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and management options for varicose veins is crucial for effective treatment and relief.Clinical manifestationsClinical manifestations of varicose veins include a heavy, achy feeling or pain after prolonged standing or sitting. This discomfort can often be relieved by...
200
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:29

Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

Diagnosing Pulmonary EmbolismDiagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) involves clinical assessment and advanced imaging tests. The preferred diagnostic tool is the spiral (helical) CT scan or CT angiography (CTA), which uses intravenous contrast media to visualize the pulmonary vasculature and identify emboli.A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan is an alternative for patients unable to receive contrast media. This scan includes both perfusion and ventilation scanning. Perfusion scanning involves...
359