Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of Candida Species Recovered from Endotracheal Tube in an Intensive Care Unit

• Main Authors: Elham Baghdadi, Sadegh Khodavaisy, Sassan Rezaie, Sara Abolghasem, Neda Kiasat, Zahra Salehi, Somayeh Sharifynia, Farzad Aala
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2016-01-01
• Series: Advances in Medicine
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/9242031

Aims. Biofilms formed by Candida species which associated with drastically enhanced resistance against most antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species isolated from endotracheal tubes from ICU patients. Methods. One hundred forty ICU patients with tracheal tubes who were intubated and mechanically ventilated were surveyed for endotracheal tube biofilms. Samples were processed for quantitative microbial culture. Yeast isolates were identified to the species level based on morphological characteristics and their identity was confirmed by PCR-RFLP. Antifungal susceptibility testing was determined according to CLSI document (M27-A3). Results. Ninety-five strains of Candida were obtained from endotracheal tubes of which C. albicans (n=34; 35.7%) was the most frequently isolated species followed by other species which included C. glabrata (n=24; 25.2%), C. parapsilosis (n=16; 16.8%), C. tropicalis (n=12; 12.6%), and C. krusei (n=9; 9.4%). The resulting MIC90 for all Candida species were in increasing order as follows: caspofungin (0.5 μg/mL); amphotericin B (2 μg/mL); voriconazole (8.8 μg/mL); itraconazole (16 μg/mL); and fluconazole (64 μg/mL). Conclusion. Candida species recovered from endotracheal tube are the most susceptible to caspofungin.