Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance (Dec 2024)
Distribution and antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida species in clinical specimens: a retrospective study from a tertiary cancer center in Muscat, Oman
Abstract
AIMS: This study aims to identify the distribution of Candida species and antifungal resistance in Oman. BACKGROUND: Candida infections are increasingly common, especially in immunocompromised patients. The distribution of species and susceptibility patterns vary widely between countries. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 336 non-duplicate Candida species isolates at a tertiary oncology center in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, over two years. For each patient, only the first isolate of each Candida species was included, with duplicates removed. This data was collected from Vitek-2 database. RESULTS: A total of 336 non-duplicate Candida isolates were identified from various clinical samples. Among these, 127 isolates (38%) were from sputa and 94 isolates (28%) from urine samples. The remaining isolates were from blood (n=16; 4.7%), vaginal swabs (n=37; 11%), and miscellaneous sources (n=62; 18.4%). Non-albicans Candida (NAC) species predominated over Candida albicans (58% vs. 43%; p < 0.01). Among NAC isolates, the species were: C. glabrata (44%), C. tropicalis (33%), C. dubliniensis (6%), C. krusei (5%), and C. parapsilosis (6%). C. albicans showed high susceptibility to amphotericin B (96%), voriconazole (99%), fluconazole (90%), micafungin (99%), and caspofungin (99%). C. glabrata exhibited high susceptibility to amphotericin B (100%), voriconazole (93%), and micafungin (99%). C. tropicalis showed high susceptibility to voriconazole (92%) and micafungin (94%), with lower susceptibility to fluconazole (83%). CONCLUSION: Understanding resistance patterns and common Candida species is crucial for guiding physicians in selecting appropriate antifungal therapy. Our data will aid in establishing institutional and national guidelines for invasive Candida infections.
