Speciation of candida isolated from urine samples in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Candiduria is a relatively rare finding in otherwise healthy people but common in hospital settings. It may signal colonization or contamination which may not need treatment. It may also be a marker of lower UTI or upper UTI which may need treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 350 isolates of Candida were included in this study. Candida isolates were identified by Gram stain, growth on Sabauraud’s dextrose agar, Germ tube test and sugar assimilation tests. Results: Out of 14,986 samples, 350 Candida isolates were identified. 176 were males and 174 were females. Candida tropicalis (74%), Candida albicans (16%), C.lipolytica (4.2%), C.glabrata (4.2%), C .parapsilosis (1.5%), C.krusei (1%) were the species isolated from urine. 175 isolates had colony counts of >105 Cfu/ml. Conclusion: The present study shows that incidence of non Candida albicans is more than Candida albicans. Species identification helps in choosing the appropriate antifungal agent.