Monday, 12 May 2025

Incidence and Management of Fungal Urinary Tract Infection in Burn Patients | Chapter 10 |Disease and Health: Research Developments Vol. 10

Background: Urinary tract infection is the most common hospital-acquired infection. UTIs are infections of the urethra (urethritis), bladder (cystitis), or kidney (pyelonephritis). It is among the most common infections worldwide, with substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Fungal species are unusual causes of urinary tract infection in healthy individuals, but are common in the hospital setting or among patients with predisposing diseases and structural abnormalities of the kidney and collecting system. Burn patients are susceptible to nosocomial infections owing to the immunocompromising effects of burn injury, cutaneous and respiratory tract injury, prolonged intensive care unit stays and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

 

Objective: The study aims to determine the prevalence of fungal urinary tract infection, the most common fungal species, and possible risk factors that may increase the occurrence of infection in burn patients.

 

Materials and Methods: A prospective study of 150 selected burn patients attending the Medical City Burn Centre in Baghdad from February 2015 to January 2017 was conducted. The study population includes adult patients of both genders who presented with different percentages of body burns. Urine sample was collected from each patient at the time of admission and weekly thereafter for 6 weeks and sent for general urine examination and urine culture to test for the possibility of fungal growth. Those who were found to develop fungal UTI by urine culture during their hospitalisation and had no infection at the time of admission were selected as subjects for our study. Informed consent was obtained from each participant before sample collection. Data on patient demographics, underlying diseases, previous and concurrent infections, antibiotic and immunosuppressive therapy, urinalysis results, urinary tract instrumentation, and duration of hospitalisation were collected from patients.

 

Results: 28 (18.6%) patients had positive fungal culture during their hospitalisation, 11 of them were males and 17 were females, the most common age of presentation was 41-50 years and the mean age ± SD was (44.4 ± 10.7) years. The most common isolated fungi were Candida albicans (64.3%), followed by Candida glabrata (21.4%) and Candida tropicalis (7.1%). The majority of patients developed infection within the 2nd and 3rd weeks of hospitalisation, however, those who presented with total body surface area burned > 40% developed an earlier infection within the 1st week. Female gender, urethral catheterisation and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with higher risk of infection as the P values were 0.03, 0.005 and 0.004, respectively. In burn patients' management, infection with systemic sepsis is the most important consideration. This systemic sepsis resulting from invasive infection remains the most common cause of high mortality rates among patients with major body burns.

 

Conclusion: Fungal urinary tract infection occurred in 18.6% of burn patients. The most common causative fungi are Candida species. Advanced age, female gender, high percentage of body burn, urethral catheterisation and diabetes mellitus were identified as the most common risk factors of such infection.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Suad Yousuf Aldorkee
Department of Pathological Analysis Technology, Ibn Hayan University College, Iraq.

Mohammed F. Al. Jawed
Department of Pathological Analysis Technology, Ibn Hayan University College, Iraq.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/dhrd/v10/5261

 

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