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Fluconazole and itraconazole susceptibilities of Candida spp. isolated from oropharyngeal specimens and blood cultures of paediatric haematology/oncology patients.

Kennedy HF, Shankland GS, Bagg J, Chalmers EA, Gibson BE, Williams CL

Department of Microbiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill Division, Glasgow, UK. helen.kennedy@yorkhill.scot.nhs.uk

This study examined the in vitro susceptibilities to fluconazole and itraconazole of isolates of Candida spp. from surveillance oropharyngeal specimens and blood cultures from paediatric patients with malignancy. The species distribution of 100 isolates from oropharyngeal specimens was C. albicans 86%, C. glabrata 7%, C. lusitaniae 4%, C. parapsilosis 2% and C. tropicalis 1%. From a total of nine isolates from blood cultures the species distribution was C. albicans 33.3%, C. parapsilosis 33.3 % and C. guilliermondii 33.3%. Only three of the oropharyngeal isolates were resistant to fluconazole (MIC > or = 64 mg l(-1)) and only two were resistant to itraconazole (MIC > or = 1 mg l(-1)). None of the blood culture isolates was resistant to either agent. At this centre, C. albicans is the predominant species from oropharyngeal specimens, but non-albicans Candida species predominate in blood cultures. Although resistance to fluconazole and itraconazole is rare at present, continued surveillance is warranted to monitor trends in species distribution and antifungal susceptibility.

Published 6 October 2006 in Mycoses, 49(6): 457-62.
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