Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis of Systemic Fungal Infections in the Hospitalized Children in the Northwest of Iran

The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, inductive agents, potential risk factors, and prognosis pertaining to the specific risk factors of fungal infections in the hospitalized children in the northwest of Iran.
This descriptive-analytical, retrospective study was conducted on all the children who were hospitalized in the Pediatric Hospital of Tabriz, Iran due to positive fungal culture during 23 August 2010-23 September 2013. The culture samples were collected from various positive fungal body fluids, secretions, and/or catheters.
In total, 40,638 patients were hospitalized during the study period, 191 of whom had fungal cultures and were enrolled in the study. Among the studied patients, 58% were male, and 42% were female. The prevalence of fungal infections in the pediatric healthcare center was 0.47% (approximately four infections per 1,000 cases). The most common comorbidities in the hospitalized children with positive fungal culture were aspiration pneumonia (15%), urinary tract infections (9%), and septicemia (7%). In addition, the most frequently infected area was the urinary system (37%). Candida albicans and mycelial fungi accounted for the most common varieties of the fungal isolates obtained from the patients. The mortality rate among the studied children with fungal infections was estimated at 27%.
According to the results, the main risk factors for fungal infections included the use of intravenous catheters, urinary catheters, intubation, and history of surgery. Therefore, it is recommended that the potential risk factors of these infections be screened and investigated in the patients admitted to the Pediatric Teaching Hospital of Tabriz.