An analysis of the risk factors for invasive fungal infections in preterm infants and a discussion of prevention strategies

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although the success rate of resuscitation in preterm infants is increasing, the long length of hospital stay in preterm infants and the need for more invasive operations, coupled with the widespread use of empirical antibiotics, have increased the prevalence of fungal infections in preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) year on year. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to explore the risk factors of invasive fungal infections (IFI) in preterm infants and to identify some prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 202 preterm infants with a gestational age of 26 weeks to 36+6 weeks and a birth weight of less than 2,000 g, admitted to our neonatal unit during the 5-year period from January 2014 to December 2018, were selected for the study. Among these preterm infants, six cases that developed fungal infections during hospitalization were enrolled as the study group, and the remaining 196 infants who did not develop fungal infections during hospitalization were the control group. The gestational age, length of hospital stay, duration of antibiotic therapy, duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, indwelling duration of the central venous catheter, and duration of intravenous nutrition of the two groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the gestational age, length of hospital stay, and duration of antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: A small gestational age, a lengthy hospital stay, and long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics are the high-risk factors for fungal infections in preterm infants. Medical and nursing measures to address the high-risk factors might reduce the incidence of fungal infections and improve the prognosis in preterm infants.