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Emergence of Candida parapsilosis as the predominant species causing candidemia in children

I Levy1, L G Rubin, S Vasishtha

  • 1Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Schneider Children's Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York 11040, USA.

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|May 23, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Candida parapsilosis is now the most common cause of candidemia in children at this hospital. This fungal infection is linked to prematurity, central venous catheters, and total parenteral nutrition, with a lower mortality rate than previously observed.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Candida parapsilosis is increasingly isolated in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding the clinical and epidemiological factors of candidemia is crucial for effective management.
  • Previous studies have not fully elucidated the specific associations with Candida parapsilosis in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze clinical and epidemiological variables of candidemia in a children's hospital.
  • To determine if factors associated with Candida parapsilosis differ from other Candida species.
  • To assess the impact of Candida parapsilosis on candidemia-related mortality in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of all candidemia episodes over a 7-year period.
  • Categorization of patients into neonates and non-neonates.
  • Statistical comparison of variables between Candida parapsilosis and non-Candida parapsilosis infections.

Main Results:

  • Candida parapsilosis accounted for 49% of the 81 candidemia episodes analyzed.
  • Candida parapsilosis was significantly associated with prematurity (P = .001), central venous catheter use (P = .002), and total parenteral nutrition (P = .03).
  • The mortality rate for candidemia in children was lower than previously reported.

Conclusions:

  • Candida parapsilosis has emerged as the predominant cause of candidemia in this pediatric setting.
  • Specific risk factors are associated with Candida parapsilosis candidemia in children.
  • The high prevalence of Candida parapsilosis may contribute to the observed lower mortality rate in pediatric candidemia.

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