Nr. 25(4)/2017 DOI:10.1515/rrlm-2017-0023

Short communication

Radu Agrosoaie, Adrian Streinu-Cercel, Doina Azoicai, Codrina Bejan, Olga Dorobat, Alexandru Mihai, Mona Popoiu, Alexandru Rafila

Introduction: Invasive fungal infections have stood as an important research subject for the past 20 years, being considered as a crucial effect of advancing healthcare services. Low identification rates of invasive fungal infections in blood cultures and low sensibility of biomarkers determine empiric treatments which lead to a change in epidemiological data and antifungal susceptibility. The aim: The epidemiological evaluation of invasive fungal infections and the assessment of antifungal resistance related to this condition. Methods and material: An “antifungal stewardship” retrospective study was developed between January 2010 and April 2016. An epidemiological analysis was performed on 79 cases with proven invasive fungal infections in bloodstream, catheter, and cerebrospinal fluid. We considered: age, gender, HIV status, place of residence, and first option in medical practice of antifungal treatment. The laboratory analysis was performed by the Microbiology Laboratory at “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Bucharest. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC’s) of 15 isolates were identified using colorimetric micro broth dilution panel YEASTONE®YO10 and compared with susceptibilities obtained by VITEK2®C system. Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019 was used as reference. Results: The incidence of invasive fungal infections was 3.7 on 1000 hospitalized patients. The age of the study population ranged between 12 and 83 years, and most were male (59%). The majority of subjects were from an urban area (84%), and 27% of them were HIV positive. The results obtained in VITEK2C® were similar with those from YEASTONE® YO10 for fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B (100%), without any minor, major or very major errors. The fluconazole was the first option of treatment, followed by voriconazole, caspofungin, anidulafungin. In 37% of cases the first treatment option was replaced with a secondary antifungal therapy accordingly with antifungal breakpoints obtained by Vitek ®. Conclusions: No rates of resistance to fluconazole, amphotericin B, voriconazole were obtained. Fluconazole was the major first line antifungal therapy.

Keywords: invasive fungal infections, antifungal stewardship, VITEK2®, YEASTONE®YO10

Received: 2.3.2017
Accepted: 12.6.2017
Published: 21.8.2017