Epidemiology of Candidemia and Fluconazole Resistance in an ICU before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era
Christina Routsi,
Joseph Meletiadis,
Efstratia Charitidou,
Aikaterini Gkoufa,
Stelios Kokkoris,
Stavros Karageorgiou,
Charalampos Giannopoulos,
Despoina Koulenti,
Petros Andrikogiannopoulos,
Efstathia Perivolioti,
Athina Argyropoulou,
Ioannis Vasileiadis,
Georgia Vrioni,
Elizabeth Paramythiotou
Affiliations
Christina Routsi
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Joseph Meletiadis
Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12461 Athens, Greece
Efstratia Charitidou
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Aikaterini Gkoufa
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Stelios Kokkoris
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Stavros Karageorgiou
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Charalampos Giannopoulos
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Despoina Koulenti
Second Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12461 Athens, Greece
Petros Andrikogiannopoulos
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Efstathia Perivolioti
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Athina Argyropoulou
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Vasileiadis
First Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
Georgia Vrioni
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Elizabeth Paramythiotou
Second Department of Intensive Care, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12461 Athens, Greece
The objectives of this study were to investigate the incidence of candidemia, as well as the factors associated with Candida species distribution and fluconazole resistance, among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to two pre-pandemic periods. All patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19 from March 2020 to October 2021, as well as during two pre-pandemic periods (2005–2008 and 2012–2015), who developed candidemia, were included. During the COVID-19 study period, the incidence of candidemia was 10.2%, significantly higher compared with 3.2% and 4.2% in the two pre-pandemic periods, respectively. The proportion of non-albicans Candida species increased (from 60.6% to 62.3% and 75.8%, respectively), with a predominance of C. parapsilosis. A marked increase in fluconazole resistance (from 31% to 37.7% and 48.4%, respectively) was also observed. Regarding the total patient population with candidemia (n = 205), fluconazole resistance was independently associated with ICU length of stay (LOS) before candidemia (OR 1.03; CI: 1.01–1.06, p = 0.003), whereas the presence of shock at candidemia onset was associated with C. albicans (OR 6.89; CI: 2.2–25, p = 0.001), and with fluconazole-susceptible species (OR 0.23; CI: 0.07–0.64, p = 0.006). In conclusion, substantial increases in the incidence of candidemia, in non-albicansCandida species, and in fluconazole resistance were found in patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19, compared to pre-pandemic periods. At candidemia onset, prolonged ICU LOS was associated with fluconazole-resistant and the presence of shock with fluconazole-susceptible species.
