Hansenula anomala Outbreak at a Surgical Intensive Care Unit: A Search for Risk Factors

• Published in: European journal of epidemiology Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 491 - 496
• Main Authors: Kalenic, S., Jandrlic, M., Vegar, V., Zuech, N., Sekulic, A., Mlinaric-Missoni, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-01-2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alkalosis; Bacteremia; Bacteria; Blood; Case studies; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Colonization; Croatia - epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks; Disinfection & disinfectants; Epidemics; Female; Fungemia; Fungemia - epidemiology; Hansenula anomala; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Logistic Models; Male; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Outbreaks; Patients; Phlebotomy; Pichia; Pichia - drug effects; Pichia - isolation & purification; Predisposing factors; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Statistical analysis; Surgical intensive care units; Surveillance; Urea; Ventilators; Yeasts; Croatia
• ISSN: 0393-2990; 1573-7284
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1013739802940

During a 5-month period, Hansenula anomala (H. anomala), an opportunistic fungus, caused an outbreak of infections in eight adult patients treated at a surgical intensive care unit (ICU). The source of the infections and route of transmission could not be identified. A case-control study included 32 patients treated simultaneously at the surgical ICU. Univariate analysis pointed to the following significant risk factors: blood alkalosis, reduced urea, duration of hospitalization, bacteremia and colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and an APACHE II score > 17 (during bacteremia or fungemia). The stepwise logistic regression multivariate analysis showed only the duration of blood alkalosis to be significant in case patients.