Fungaemia survey: a 10-year experience in Bergamo, Italy

The authors analysed 10 years of experience of fungaemia at a Regional Ital ian Hospital, the Azienda Ospedaliera (A.O.) Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo', Bergamo, Italy, from 1988 to 1997. One hundred and sixty-eight cases were o bserved, with a global incidence corresponding to 3.43/10 000 in-patients. Median age was 38.5 years and mean age was 38.9 years (range: 0-94 years). Female:male ratio was 1:1.75. Fungaemia occurred 25.7 days (mean value) aft er admission to the hospital. Aetiology was: 134 Candida spp. (70%), 11 Cry ptococcus neoformans (6.5%), seven Torulopsis inconspicua (4.1%), three Tri chosporon beigelii (1.8%), one Hansenula anomala (0.6%); three Fusarium ver ticillioides (1.8%), three Geotrichum candidum (1.8%) and one Histoplasma c apsulatum (0.6%). Total mortality was 50.6%, and particularly related to Ca ndida kefyr and Candida krusei, to Cr. neoformans and Fusarium spp.