Antifungal susceptibility against yeasts isolated from pediatric oncology patients.

Yeast infections cause morbidity in children with cancer and we evaluated species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of the etiologic agents in this group. Specimens from 58 children yielded 64 cultures positive for yeasts. Central venous catheters were present in 56 (97%) of the children and neutrophil counts were <500 cells/ml3 in 34% of the patients. Twenty-two (38%) had received recent antifungal treatment, with 15 (25%) receiving fluconazole (FLU) prophylaxis. The Candida isolates recovered from four (27%) of the children on FLU prophylaxis, were resistant to this drug. Candida albicans isolates were susceptible to 100% of antifungals tested, whereas non-C. albicans Candida spp. were variable in their susceptibility patterns. FLU prophylaxis minimally affected susceptibility.