Table 3.
Antifungal therapy started before and after microbiological documentation of Candida in the bloodstream
| Characteristics | Elderly patients (≥65 years, n =63) | Younger patients (16-60 years, n =84) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antifungal therapy administered before microbiological documentation | 22 (34.9%) | 47 (56.0%) | 0.011 |
| Treatment method | |||
| Prophylactic treatment | 7 (11.1%) | 17 (20.2%) | 0.138 |
| Empiric treatment | 12 (19.0%) | 23 (27.4%) | 0.240 |
| Undetermineda | 3 (4.8%) | 7 (8.3%) | 0.603 |
| Agents selection | |||
| Fluconazole | 16 (25.4%) | 32 (38.1%) | 0.104 |
| Itraconazole | 3 (4.8%) | 11 (13.1%) | 0.089 |
| Voriconazolea | 3 (4.8%) | 4 (4.8%) | 0.696 |
| Antifungal therapy administered/changed after microbiological documentation | 28 (44.4%) | 36 (42.9%) | 0.848 |
| Agents selection | |||
| Fluconazole | 4 (6.3%) | 13 (15.5%) | 0.087 |
| Itraconazolea | 6 (9.5%) | 3 (3.6%) | 0.253 |
| Voriconazolea | 4 (6.3%) | 6 (7.1%) | 0.887 |
| Micafungina | 3 (4.8%) | 5 (6.0%) | 0.958 |
| Caspofungin | 11 (17.5%) | 9 (10.7%) | 0.238 |
| Overall | |||
| Triazoles usage | 36 (57.1%) | 66 (78.6%) | 0.005 |
| Echinocandins usage | 14 (22.2%) | 14 (16.7%) | 0.396 |
| Absence of antifungal therapies | 16 (25.4%) | 10 (11.9%) | 0.034 |
Data are presented as n (%).
Antifungal agents were changed in 3 elderly patients and 6 younger patients.
aFisher’s exact test; Unspecified: chi-square test.