ABSTRACT
Objectives: To study the susceptibility patterns in blood isolates of Candida parapsilosis at a tertiary care center. Method(s): This was a retrospective observational study of nine cases of candidemia due to C. Parapsilosis over a period of 1 year. Data were collected using the hospital's electronic health records. Species identification was done using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-T OF-MS) (Bruker Biotyper Sirius-Bruker Dalton-ics, Bremen, Germany). Antifungal susceptibility was performed by broth microdilution method using Sensititre TM YeastOne TM YO1O AST Plates (Therm ofisher Scientific, USA). Result(s): All patients with C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection had central venous access and all patients had received broad-spectrum antibiotics atthe time of developing candidemia.Fourpatients developed C.parapsilosis candidemiain the post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) setting.Out of the 9 isolates, 7 (77.7%) were resistant to fluconazole, 2 were resistant to voriconazole and posaconazole, and 1 isolate was resistant to amphotericin.A total of 4/9 patients were started on fluconazole prior to antifungal susceptibility testing;3 of these needed to be switched to an echinocandin due to fluconazole resistance. Conclusion(s): Fluconazole resistance in this study was seen in 7/9 (77.7%) isolates which is more than what has been previously described for C. parapsilosis. This makes fluconazole a poor choice for the treatment of C. parapsilosis in our institute. These findings may have an implication in the selection or de-escalation of antifungal treatment for C. parapsilosis.