CEREN ÇETİN, AYŞE KARAASLAN, MURAT DERELİ, YASEMİN AKIN, HALİSE CANKILIÇ, GAYE FİLİNTE
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2021;32(1):95-98
Candida species are found in the normal human flora; however, predisposing factors, such as immunosuppression, intensive care unit stay, and catheter use, may cause progression to disease. Candida glabrata is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, fungal infection. This report describes the case of a 14-month-old male patient who developed Candida glabrata candidemia during hospitalization in the burn ward. The patient was admitted to the hospital with second-degree scald burns comprising 9.5% of the total body surface area. A fever was observed on the third day of hospitalization and empiric intravenous piperacillin-tazobactam therapy was initiated. A blood culture revealed no microorganism. Fluconazole was added to the patient’s therapy on the fifth day of treatment due to yeast reported on a blood culture taken after a recurrence of fever. Laboratory results indicated that the yeast was Candida glabrata and treatment with caspofungin was implemented. A control blood culture was sterile. Candida glabrata is a rare fungal pathogen, however, it can cause severe infection and is resistant to azoles. The classic risk factors of immunosuppression, intensive care unit admission, or catheter administration were not present in this case, yet it should be kept in mind that burn patients are secondarily immunosuppressed and prone to severe infections.
