P367 Candida sepsis in neonates a neglected pathogen: study from neonatal intensive care unit tertiary care hospital

POSTER SESSION 3, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: INTRODUCTION: Significance of Candida species in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) is increasingly being recognized. It is the third most common cause of late-onset sepsis in NICU patients and accounts for 9 to 13% of bloodstream infections (BSI) in neonates. Although Candida albicans has historically been the most frequently isolated species, recently non-albicans Candida (NAC) have emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen, notably Candida tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C auris. This changing trend and the increasing use of azoles agents is now a matter of concern due to the emerging resistance of the non-albicans species to azoles. AIM: To evaluate the Candida sepsis in neonates from neonatal intensive care units from a tertiary care hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, East Delhi, India, during the period of July 2021 to December 2021. Overall, 30 suspected Candida sepsis patients from neonatal intensive care units were enrolled in the present study. The Candida spp. Isolated was identified as per standard mycological techniques. Preliminary identification was done by colony morphology on SDA, chromogenic media (Hichrome, Himedia Pvt. Ltd.), grown at 45°C, germ tube test, chlamydospore formation, and was confirmed by carbohydrate fermentation and assimilation tests. Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) was performed for Fluconazole (25 μg), and amphotericin B (AMB, 100 units) using the disc diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar supplemented with 2% glucose and methylene blue (5 mg/ml). Zone diameters were interpreted as per the approved Clinical Laboratory Standards (CLSI-M44-A) guidelines. Quality control for AFST was performed using C. albicans-ATCC 90028 and C. parapsilosis-ATCC 22019. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version. The P-value ˂0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULT: Out of 30 Candida species from suspected septicemia neonates, non-albicans Candida (NAC) species accounted for (87%) compared to C. albicans (13.4%). Candida tropicalis was predominant at 9 (30%) followed by C. glabrata 8 (27%), C.parapsilosis 4 (13.3%), and C. krusei 3(10%), Pichia species (4.2%), and C.auris (3.4%). Antifungal sensitivity of the NAC isolates demonstrated >85% resistance to fluconazole amongst C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, though amphotericin B had 100% sensitivity in all Candida species. The risk factor for candidemia as observed in our study were low birth weight 26(87%), use of broad-spectrum antibiotics 25 (83.4%), presence of an orogastric tube 18 (60%), and total parental nutrition 9 (30%) were significantly associated statistically (P <.05, paired t-test). The overall mortality amongst these neonates was 16.6%. CONCLUSION: Fungal BSI has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Reporting of fungal bloodstream infections and the spectrum of species involved are essential measures in neonatal intensive care units in order to implement appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies.