Characteristics, outcome and risk factors for mortality of paediatric patients with ICU‐acquired candidemia in India: A multicentre prospective study
Arunaloke Chakrabarti, Prashant Sood, Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy, Sharon Chen, Joseph Jillwin, Ranganathan Iyer, Ajanta Sharma, Belgode Narasimha Harish, Indranil Roy, Anupma Jyoti Kindo, Deepinder Chhina, Jayanthi Savio, Deepak Kumar Mendiratta, Malini R. Capoor, Shukla Das, Anita Arora, Jagdish Chander, Immaculata Xess, B Appalaraju, Ujjwayini Ray, Ratna Rao, Vandana Kalwaje Eshwara, Sangeeta Joshi, Atul Patel, Raman Sardana, Anjali Shetty, Umabala Pamidimukkala, for the SIHAM Candidemia Network
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology, clinical profile and outcome of paediatric candidemia vary considerably by age, healthcare settings and prevalent Candida species. Despite these differences, few comprehensive studies are undertaken. This nationwide study addresses this knowledge gap. METHODS: 487 children who contracted ICU-acquired candidemia at 23 Indian tertiary care centres were assessed for 398 variables spanning demography, clinical characteristics, microbiology, treatment and outcome. RESULTS: Both neonates (5.0 days; range = 3.0-9.5) and non-neonatal children (7.0 days; range = 3.0-13.0) developed candidemia early after ICU admission. Majority of neonates were premature (63.7%) with low birthweight (57.1%). Perinatal asphyxia (7.3%), pneumonia (8.2%), congenital heart disease (8.4%) and invasive procedures were common comorbidities, and antibiotic use (94.1%) was widespread. C tropicalis (24.7%) and C albicans (20.7%) dominated both age groups. Antifungal treatment (66.5%) and removal of central catheters (44.8%) lagged behind. Overall resistance was low; however, emergence of resistant C krusei and C auris needs attention. The 30-day crude mortality was 27.8% (neonates) and 29.4% (non-neonates). Logistic regression identified admission to public sector ICUs (OR = 5.64), mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.82), corticosteroid therapy (OR = 8.89) and antifungal therapy (OR = 0.22) as independent predictors of 30-day crude mortality in neonates. Similarly, admission to public sector ICUs (OR = 3.62), mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.13), exposure to carbapenems (OR = 2.18) and azole antifungal therapy (OR = 0.48) were independent predictors for non-neonates. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a distinct epidemiology, including early infection with a different spectrum of Candida species, calling for appropriate intervention strategies to reduce candidemia morbidity and mortality. Independent factors identified in our regression models can help tackle these challenges.