Objective: To document risk factors, morbidity and mortality associate
d with neonatal systemic candidiasis. Setting: The neonatal intensive
care unit and paediatric intensive care unit of Oatif Central Hospital
. Subjects: Neonates with culture proven systemic candidiasis. Methods
: This was a retrospective analysis of patients' records. Results: Thi
rteen neonates consisting of 10 (5.1/1000) of the 1946 admissions into
the neonatal intensive care unit and three outside admissions into th
e paediatric intensive care unit had culture proven systemic candidias
is. Major risk factors of systemic candidiasis were: prolonged usage o
f broad spectrum antibiotics (100%), endotracheal intubation and mecha
nical ventilation (92.3%), low birthweight (69.2%), umbilical vessel c
annulation (61.5%), chest tube insertion (38.5%) and total parenteral
nutrition (30.8%). Two of the very low birthweight infants died. Ampho
tericin B toxicity was low. Conclusion: Neonatal systemic candidiasis
may be a problem in Saudi Arabia like other countries where neonatal i
ntensive care is being practised. It is associated with serious morbid
ity and a high mortality rate in the very low birthweight infants and
should be suspected in a seriously ill neonate with signs of sepsis bu
t failure to respond to antibacterial antibiotic therapy.