Fluconazole resistance rate of Candida species from different regions and hospital types in Taiwan

[[abstract]]From April 15 to June 15, 1999, 581 clinical Candida isolates from 19 hospitals in Taiwan were collected and susceptibilities to fluconazole of these isolates were determined by a broth microdilution method. A total of 42 (7. 2%) isolates were resistant to fluconazole. Isolates from medical centers had a higher resistance rate to fluconazole than those from regional hospitals (10.7% vs 4.9%). Candida species isolated from different regions had different degrees of susceptibility to fluconazole. Approximately 2.5%, 6.5%, and 11.8% of Candida isolates from middle, north, and south regions, respectively, were resistant to fluconazole. The prevalence of the combination of Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, and Candida tropicalis infections were 44.5%, 49.8%, and 62.7% in middle, north, and south regions, respectively. There is an association between the rate of fluconazole resistance and the number of non-albicans Candida species collected from different regions and hospital types