Candida colonization and candidemia in a pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate role of Candida colonization in development of candidemia and to identify risk factors associated with Candida colonization and candidemia in children treated for severe sepsis or septic shock in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for >5 days. DESIGN: Prospective observational. SETTING: PICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: Of 186 children, aged 1 month to 14 yrs, consecutively admitted to PICU for severe sepsis or septic shock, 65 patients having a stay of >5 days. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical and demographic data at admission and variables likely to influence Candida colonization were recorded. Oropharyngeal, rectal, and skin (groin) swabs were taken on days 0, 2, 5, and 7 of admission. Blood for fungal culture (two samples 48 hrs apart) was obtained if a patient developed signs of sepsis. The yeast growth was identified by conventional methods. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Colonization by Candida species occurred in 45 (69%) patients. Oropharyngeal (52%) and rectal (43%) colonization was more common than skin (34%) colonization. The colonizing species were C. tropicalis (34.2%), C. parapsilosis (28.8%), C. albicans (14.4%), and others. Use of central venous catheters was the only independent predictor of colonization on multivariate logistic regression (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.01-17.1). Twenty (30.2%) patients developed candidemia; 18 (90%) of them were colonized, 15 (75%) with the same Candida species. Independent predictors of candidemia on multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis were presence of colonization (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.01-25.6, p = .048) and Pediatric Risk of Mortality score (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.02-1.6, p = .034). CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring for colonization with Candida species in children undergoing treatment for severe sepsis or sepsis shock in PICU for >5 days may offer opportunity for early intervention for prevention of candidemia.