Candida glabrata can cause sepsis, especially among patients with compromised immune systems.
Candidaemia is the most common fungal bloodstream infection in hospitalized patients. Diabetes is one of the risk factors for mortality from candidaemia. A group of researchers from Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, compared the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and management of candidaemia in patients with and without diabetes. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Over a 10-year period, 200 episodes of Candida bloodstream infection were documented. Patients with diabetes were younger (58.7 vs 65.5 years), less likely to be suffering from cancer (21.8% vs 36%), and had significantly lower 30-day and 90-day crude mortality (17.2% vs 35.6% and 28.4% vs 48.6%, respectively). Candida glabrata was more common in patients with diabetes (39.3% vs 29.7%). Based on European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) quality indicators, the management of patients with and without diabetes was similar.
This study highlights the importance of epidemiological data in relation to candidaemia in patients with diabetes and the growing threat of invasive C. glabrata infection in this subset of patients.
Source: Preece G, Bhola S, Davidson A, Collier A, Bal AM. Epidemiology, management and outcome of candidaemia in patients with diabetes. J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2022 Dec;52(4):292-297. doi: 10.1177/14782715221137451.
