Prognostic factors for mortality with fungal blood stream infections in patients with hematological and non-hematological malignancies

BACKGROUND: This single center retrospective analysis was undertaken to identify the incidence, clinical impact, and prognostic factors for mortality associated with fungal blood stream infections (BSI) in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty four patients had 169 episodes of fungal BSI. Incidence has not changed over a 10 year period but non albicans candida species are the predominant fungal isolates. Mortality with fungal BSI was significantly higher than that with other microbial agents. Risk of mortality was associated with renal dysfunction and Candida albicans as the isolate. Type of chemotherapy, patient characteristics, and neutrophil count did not influence the mortality following fungal BSI. CONCLUSION: Fungal BSI is rare and the incidence has not changed in this hospital. Mortality associated with fungal BSI is high. Risk score at the time of developing fungal BSI has prognostic potential to identify patients with higher risk of mortality associated with fungal BSI.