A Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Invasive Candidiasis In Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonates

Authors

  • Syed Muzaffar Saleem Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.
  • Uswa Jiwani Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.
  • Ali Shabbir Hussain Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.
  • Manoj Kumar Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.
  • Radhika Suresh Kumar Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.
  • Shabina Ariff Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v74i1.9446

Keywords:

Candidiasis, Antifungal agents, Intensive care units\, Infant, Newborn, Very low birth weight, Length of stay

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement (QI) initiative, which included a Fluconazole prophylaxis protocol and provider education on neonatal Candidiasis.

Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal study.

Place and Duration of Study: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Aga Khan University, Karachi Pakistan, from Apr 2015 to Dec 2019.

Methodology: All extremely low birth weight neonates (ELBW) neonates admitted to the NICU between April 2015 and March 2017 were included in the pre-implementation phase. All ELBW neonates admitted between April 2017 and December 2019 were included in the post-implementation phase. Data were collected from medical records. The primary outcome was the frequency of Invasive Candidiasis (IC) before and after the QI initiative.

Results: Altogether, 272 neonates were included in the study, with 115 neonates in the Pre-Implementation Group and 157 neonates in the Post-Implementation Group. The frequency of IC was 6(5.2%) in the pre-implementation and 1(0.6%) in the post-implementation period, (p=0.044). Candida parapsilosis 2(40%) and Candida glabrata 2(40%) were the organisms most commonly isolated from blood cultures. All organisms were sensitive to Fluconazole in both the pre-and post-implementation
cohorts. There was no difference in mortality (54(50.5%) vs. 69(44.2%), p=0.32) or length of stay (19.6±13.3 vs. 23.4±18.4 days,p=0.061) before and after Fluconazole prophylaxis.

Conclusion: The frequency of invasive Candidiasis in ELBW neonates was successfully reduced by introducing a Fluconazole prophylaxis protocol in the NICU as a QI initiative. A team-based approach and provider education ensured high compliance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Benjamin DK Jr, Stoll BJ, Gantz MG, Walsh MC, Sánchez PJ, Das

A, et al; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network.

Neonatal candidiasis: epidemiology, risk factors, and clinica

judgment. Pediatrics 2010; 126(4): e865-873.

https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3412

Adams-Chapman I, Bann CM, Das A. Neurodevelopmental

Outcome of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants with Candida

Infection. J Pediatr 2013; 163(4): 961-967.e3.

https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JPEDS.2013.04.034

Iosifidis E, Papachristou S, Roilides E. Advances in the

Treatment of Mycoses in Pediatric Patients. J Fungi 2018; 4(4):

https://doi.org/10.3390/jof4040115

Aliaga S, Clark RH, Laughon M. Changes in the incidence of

candidiasis in neonatal intensive care units. Pediatrics 2014;

(2): 236-242. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-0671

Roilides E. Invasive candidiasis in neonates and children. Early

Hum Dev 2011; 87 (Suppl 1): S75-S76.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.01.017

Wadile RG, Bhate VM. Study of clinical spectrum and risk factors

of neonatal candidemia. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2015; 58(4):

-474. https://doi.org/10.4103/0377-4929.168888

Leibovitz E. Strategies for the prevention of neonatal

candidiasis. Pediatr Neonatol 2012; 53(2): 83-89.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedneo.2012.01.004

Lee J, Kim HS, Shin SH. Efficacy and safety of fluconazole

prophylaxis in extremely low birth weight infants: multicenter

pre-post cohort study. BMC Pediatr 2016; 16: 67.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-016-0605-y

Ericson JE, Kaufman DA, Kicklighter SD, Bhatia J, Testoni D, Gao

J, et al; Fluconazole Prophylaxis Study Team on behalf of the Best

Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric Trials Network

Steering Committeea; Fluconazole Prophylaxis Study Team on

behalf of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric

Trials Network Steering Committee. Fluconazole Prophylaxis for

the Prevention of Candidiasis in Premature Infants: A Metaanalysis Using Patient-level Data. Clin Infect Dis 2016; 63(5): 604-

https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciw363

Ariff S, Saleem AF, Soofi SB, Sajjad R. Clinical spectrum and

outcomes of neonatal candidiasis in a tertiary care hospital in

Karachi, Pakistan. J Infect Dev Ctries 2011; 5(3): 216-223.

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.1232

Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B. Defining opportunistic invasive

fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer

and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international

consensus. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34(1): 7-14.

https://doi.org/10.1086/323335

Muñoz P, Burillo A, Bouza E. Criteria used when initiating

antifungal therapy against Candida spp. in the intensive care

unit. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2000; 15(2): 83-90.

https://doi.org/10.1016/s0924-8579(00)00147-3

Cleminson J, Austin N, McGuire W. Prophylactic systemic

antifungal agents to prevent mortality and morbidity in very low

birth weight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 2015(10):

CD003850. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003850.pub5

Aydemir C, Oguz SS, Dizdar EA, Akar M, Sarikabadayi YU,

Saygan S, et al. Randomised controlled trial of prophylactic

fluconazole versus nystatin for the prevention of fungal

colonisation and invasive fungal infection in very low birth

weight infants.Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2011; 96(3):

F164–F168. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2009.178996

Manzoni P, Stolfi I, Pugni L, Decembrino L, Magnani C, Vetrano

G, et al. A multicenter, randomized trial of prophylactic

fluconazole in preterm neonates. N Eng J Med 2007; 356(24):

–2495. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa065733

Cleminson J, Austin N, McGuire W. Prophylactic systemic

antifungal agents to prevent mortality and morbidity in very low

birth weight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 2015(10):

CD003850. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003850.pub5

Kaufman DA, Morris A, Gurka MJ, Kapik B, Hetherington S.

Fluconazole prophylaxis in preterm infants: a multicenter casecontrolled analysis of efficacy and safety. Early Human Dev

; 90(SUPPL.1): S87-S90. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-

(14)70026-X

da Silva Rios JF, Camargos PAM, Corrêa LP, de-Castro

Romanelli RM. Fluconazole prophylaxis in preterm infants: a

systematic review. Braz J Infect Dis 2017; 21(3): 333-338.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2017.01.008

Blyth CC, Barzi F, Hale K, Isaacs D. Chemoprophylaxis of

neonatal fungal infections in very low birthweight infants:

efficacy and safety of fluconazole and nystatin. J Paediatr Child

Health 2012; 48(9): 846-851. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-

2012.02543.x

Robati Anaraki Mahmoud Nouri-Vaskeh Masoud AOS.

Fluconazole prophylaxis against invasive candidiasis in very low

and extremely low birth weight preterm neonates: a systematic

review and meta-analysis. Clin Exp Pediatr 2021; 64(4): 172-179.

https://doi.org/10.3345/cep.2019.0143

Downloads

Published

28-02-2024

Issue

Section

Original Articles

How to Cite

1.
Saleem SM, Jiwani U, Hussain AS, Kumar M, Kumar RS, Ariff S. A Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Invasive Candidiasis In Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonates. Pak Armed Forces Med J [Internet]. 2024 Feb. 28 [cited 2024 Nov. 22];74(1):168-73. Available from: https://pafmj.org/PAFMJ/article/view/9446