Susceptibility Patterns of <i>Candida</i> spp. Collected from Intensive Care Units: A Prospective Study in 2020–2022

Abstract

The frequency of Candida spp. isolates as a cause of hospital infections has risen, and in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing (AST) plays an increasingly important role in guiding therapeutic decisions. This multicenter study aimed to determine AST pattern of Candida spp. isolates from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. In total, 674 patients were enrolled, and axillar/inguinal swabs were collected at admission and during the ICU stay (5th and 8th day). In vitro AST was performed on 355 Candida spp. isolates, according to the concentration gradient Etest® strip technique. The overall susceptibility rates were 100%, 99.7%, 98.3%, and 97.7% for amphotericin B, voriconazole, anidulafungin, and fluconazole, respectively. The current study demonstrates that antifungal resistance remains infrequent among Candida spp. isolates in Portugal’s ICUs.

Keywords

• <i>Candida</i> spp.
• ICUs
• Fluconazole
• Voriconazole
• Amphotericin B
• Anidulafungin