Oral amphotericin B for the prevention of Candida bloodstream infection in critically ill children*

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of oral amphotericin B for the prevention of Candida bloodstream infection in the pediatric intensive care unit. DESIGN: Retrospective, nonrandomized, historic-control study. SETTING: Multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care unit at a university-affiliated children's medical center. PATIENTS: Study group included all patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 1999, who required mechanical ventilation and who were admitted for >7 days. The control group included all patients admitted for >7 days who needed mechanical ventilation from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 1997. INTERVENTIONS: Oral amphotericin B suspension, 50 mg every 8 hrs, administered to all study group patients soon after initiation of mechanical ventilation and terminating after weaning. MEASUREMENTS: The rates of Candida bloodstream infection were compared between the study and control groups. MAIN RESULTS: Candida species were isolated from blood cultures in 5 of 185 (2.1%) and 21 of 196 (10.7%) patients in the study and control groups, respectively (p= .0038). There was also a statistically significant (p= .017) decrease in Candida bloodstream infection rate in all patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for >7 days during the study period compared with the Candida bloodstream infection rate during the control period. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic administration of oral amphotericin B may lead to a significant decrease in the rate of Candida bloodstream infection in ventilated pediatric intensive care unit patients.