EPIDEMIOLOGIA DA CANDIDEMIA ASSOCIADA À COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 is a infection caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), whose most severe clinical manifestation is the development of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The increased occurrence of secondary fungal infections has been one of the greatest concerns in the management of patients with COVID-19, due to the higher mortality rate observed in these cases. Candidemia is a fungal infection caused by yeasts of the Candida genus. Several studies in the literature point to an increase in the occurrence of cases of candidemia associated with COVID-19 (CAC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of CAC, considering the occurrence, main Candida species isolated, related risk factors and mortality rate. For this, an integrative literature review was carried out in the LILACS, PubMed and SciELO databases, using the descriptors: Candidemia, COVID-19 and Epidemiology. At the end of the analysis, 20 articles that met the research criteria were selected. An increase in the occurrence of CAC was observed, in addition to the increase in candidemia alone during the pandemic period. Although C. albicans is more prevalent, a gradual change in the etiology of this infection was observed, with non-albicans Candida species emerging. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and use of medical devices were the main risk factors for CAC. Due to the high mortality rate in patients with fungal coinfection, it is important that healthcare professionals remain vigilant and take proactive measures to prevent candidemia in patients with COVID-19.