[Distribution and antifungal susceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from six health care centers in the metropolitan area of Caracas, Venezuela (years 2003-2005)]. / Distribución y sensibilidad a los antifúngicos de aislamientos clínicos de Candida en seis centros de salud del área metropolitana de Caracas, Venezuela (años 2003-2005).

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and antifungal susceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from patients with candidiasis in six health care centers of Caracas, Venezuela metropolitan area. The laboratory reports were retrospectively revised from January 2003 through August 2005. The isolated yeasts identification was carried out by conventional methods and antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by ATB-fungus (bioMérieux, France) and Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). One thousand nine hundred seventy seven (1.977) yeasts were studied and their susceptibility testing were carried out only in 1,414 of them. C. albicans was the most isolated yeast (46.7%) and none-albicans Candida-species represented more than half of the isolations (53.4%). All the isolated yeasts evaluated presented CMIs<1 microg/ml to anfotericina B and showed variable susceptibility percentages to fluconazole (91.5%), itraconazole (80%) and voriconazole (98.6%).

Distribución y sensibilidad a los antifúngicos de aislamientos clínicos de Candida en seis centros de salud del área metropolitana de Caracas, Venezuela (años 2003-2005) / Distribution and antifungal susceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from six health care centers in the metropolitan area of Caracas, Venezuela (years 2003-2005)

El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la frecuencia y la sensibilidad a losantifúngicos de aislamientos clínicos de Candida provenientes de pacientescon candidiasis en seis centros de salud del área metropolitana de Caracas,Venezuela. Se revisaron retrospectivamente los informes de laboratorio desdeenero de 2003 hasta agosto de 2005. La identificación de las levadurasaisladas se realizó por los métodos convencionales y se evaluó lasusceptibilidad a los antifúngicos por los métodos ATB-Fungus (bioMérieux,Francia) y Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Suecia). Se aislaron 1.977 levaduras y a1.414 se les realizaron pruebas de sensibilidad. Candida albicans fue lalevadura aislada con más frecuencia (46,7%) y el resto de las especies deCandida representaron más de la mitad de los aislamientos (53,4%).Todas las levaduras evaluadas presentaron valores de CMI <1 mg/ml para laanfotericina B y porcentajes de sensibilidad variable al fluconazol (91,5%),itraconazol (80%) y voriconazol (98,6%)(AU)

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and antifungalsusceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from patients withcandidiasis in six health care centers of Caracas, Venezuela metropolitan area.The laboratory reports were retrospectively revised from January 2003 throughAugust 2005. The isolated yeasts identification was carried out byconventional methods and antifungal susceptibility was evaluated byATB-fungus (bioMérieux, France) and Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden).One thousand nine hundred seventy seven (1,977) yeasts were studied andtheir susceptibility testing were carried out only in 1,414 of them. C. albicanswas the most isolated yeast (46.7%) and none-albicans Candida-speciesrepresented more than half of the isolations (53.4%). All the isolated yeastsevaluated presented CMIs <1 mg/ml to anfotericina B and showed variablesusceptibility percentages to fluconazole (91.5%), itraconazole (80%) andvoriconazole (98.6%)(AU)