Determination of the antifungal sensitivity profile of isolates of the emerging multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris recovered at the Hospital Universitario Mayor Méderi.

National surveillance for the emergence of invasive infections caused by the multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris led by the National Institute of Health since 2016, has allowed the collection and documentation of approximately 680 cases associated with different forms of presentation of the infection, including fungemia, candidiasis or colonization by C. auris. One of the characteristics of this yeast is its multiresistance, since some isolates of C. auris present high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to the three main classes of antifungals available for treatment, limiting therapeutic options. Preliminary studies indicate that strains of this yeast with high MIC values to fluconazole and amphotericin B are circulating in Colombia. Bogota is one of the territorial entities with the highest number of cases (232 cases reported so far in 32 institutions), so it is necessary to determine the sensitivity profile to antifungals of these clinical isolates of C. auris circulating in one of the most important hospitals in the capital, the Hospital Universitario Mayor Méderi, a fourth level hospital with more than 600 beds, taking into account the multiresistance capacity of this yeast and its difficult control since, unlike other pathogens, it has been demonstrated that it survives on the surfaces of medical instruments/equipment and the hospital environment in general. The determination of antifungal sensitivity (AST) will be performed on 26 isolates of C. auris, reported to the INS surveillance system by the Mederi Hospital according to the epidemiological surveillance criteria imparted by the District Secretary of Health between 2017-2019. It is expected to have concrete data regarding the antifungal sensitivity profile of C. auris isolates circulating in the Hospital Universitario Mayor Méderi in order to provide timely management and treatment to patients, thus reducing morbidity and mortality.

Candida auris, Colombia, antifungal sensitivity, fungemia