Abstract

Candida spp. is one of the most important components of human micro ecology. Most of the patients who diagnosed with candiduria do not have any apparent symptoms and it is certainly very difficult to differentiate between bacteriuria and candiduria in symptomatic patients. The main aim of this study to determine the frequency of candidiuria in patients of different age groups in a tertiary care hospital. Data of 1805 samples were included in this study, which were received in Microbiology Lab of Shalamar hospital Lahore, during one year (31st January 2021 to 31st January 2022). The data of candiduria patients were collected which diagnosed on the basis of microscopic examination and cultural identification were further analyzed through SPSS 25.0. In this observational study, out of 1805 patients, 23% were positive for bacterial growth while 3.7% were positive for fungal growth (Candida) and remaining 1320 were showed negative results. The frequency of candiduria in different age groups were found as, Infants 0-1 year 4.9% followed by; teen 13-19 years 1.4%, adult 20-39 years 1.8%, middle age adults 40-59 years 3.8% and elder above 60 years 6.4%. According to our observation candiduria is more often in females than in males and the elder patients were more prone for Candida infection. So, we recommended that regular follow-up of elderly patients is required for the diagnosis of candiduria either they are symptomatic or not.

Keywords: Candida, Candidiuria, Elderly patients, Fungal growth, Urinary Tract Infections