Prevalence of Candida albicans Infection Among Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patients in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: The current study aims to investigate 'Candida albicans' in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) infections in Baghdad. Materials and Methods: Clinical samples were collected from 203 patients with DFUs treated at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and outpatient clinic. There were 105 male and 98 female participants. The study period was from December 15, 2021 to May 15, 2022. Results: The mean age was 56.50 years, and 132 (65%) of the patients were aged between 46 and 65 years. The average diabetes duration was 10.96 ± 4.63 years, and 108 (53.2%) of the patients had a history of diabetic mellitus (DM) for 3-10 years. Out of the 203 clinical samples, 113 (56%) were positive for fungal growth. Cultural characteristics and biochemical criteria revealed that 66 (58.4%) isolates out of the 113 were different types of Candida, including C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. lipolytica, C. lusitaniae, and C.guilliermondii. The results showed that 15 (13.2%) isolates were C. albicans, with a higher percentage in females compared to males (40%). Among the age groups, the 46-65 age group showed 53.3% of C. albicans. The time period of diabetes (3-10 years) was the highest rate of C. albicans emergence. Conclusion: The current study concludes that fungal infections, including Candida species, are common among patients with diabetic foot diseases. Regular laboratory culturing of the fungal swabs is necessary for periodic diagnosis in order to monitor and control fungal diseases associated with diabetic foot infections.