Investigating the Increasing Azole Resistance in Candida Infections Among Critically Ill Patients: Experience From a Tertiary-Level Setup in North India

Our study emphasizes the role of increased Candida isolates and resistance trends across various samples over the specified time period. <i>C. albicans </i>was the most commonly isolated Candida species overall, but the gradual shift of Candida species to non-albicans species (NAC) is very much pertinent in our study. <i>Candida</i> <i> </i> <i>auris </i>remains undetected in blood and other invasive samples in the present study. Our study did not report any <i>C. auris</i> isolate. This may be due to the constant and strong reinforcement of enhanced infection control measures, including environmental decontamination and contact precautions. The present study showed a significant increase in antifungal susceptibility testing volumes over the study period, reflecting the growing clinical burden of Candida species. The potential rise in the azole group of drug resistance emphasizes the need for continued regional surveillance to track resistance trends. Expanding regional and global surveillance efforts and developing novel antifungal agents are crucial to addressing the challenges posed by rising multidrug-resistant Candida isolates in various clinical samples. Enhanced surveillance, antifungal stewardship programs, and innovation are very much essential to mitigate the public health impact of antifungal resistance and improve the clinical outcomes among patients.