Identification of Candida species isolated from patients in intensive care unit and in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole for a 3-year period

Species level identification of Candida and antifungal susceptibility testing is not generally performed in routine laboratory practice. There is limited information about the distribution of Candida species and antifungal susceptibility in Turkey. In this study, we aimed at identifying Candida isolates to species level from various samples obtained from patients treated in an intensive care unit between 2002 and 2005 and to evaluate fluconazole susceptibilities of the isolates. A total of 320 Candida isolates obtained from 270 patients were identified by conventional methods and using API (Candida and/or 20C AUX) system. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution method. Candida albicans was isolated with the highest frequency (65.6%) followed by C. parapsilosis (11.3%), C. glabrata (8.8%) and C. tropicalis (7.8%). Of all the isolates, 92.9% revealed susceptibility to fluconazole. Susceptibility to fluconazole was highest for C. albicans followed by C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata. The MIC(90) values for C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis were 1, 2, 8 and 4 mug ml(-1) respectively. Fluconazole remains effective against both C. albicans and the majority of non-albicans Candida species. In this study, we determine the distribution of Candida species and evaluate the susceptibilities of the isolates, particularly for the azoles.