Abstract

STUDY OF PREVALENCE OF CANDIDA ALBICANS AMONG THE PATIENTS ATTENDING TO OUT PATIENT SERVICES OF GYNAECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS DEPARTMENT WITH COMPLAINT OF VAGINAL DISCHARGE.

*Sashi Kandel, Ritee Shrestha and Pratik Adhikary

ABSTRACT

Candidiasis is an infection which is caused by genus Candida basically with Candida albicans. There is increased prevalence of local and systemic infection/disease caused by Candida spp which manifested with various clinical syndromes. Vaginal candidiasis is the mycotic disease which is caused by Candida albicans. The main objective of this study is to determine the incidence of Candida albicans among the patients attending gynecology OPD with complaints of vaginal discharge. The patients who were attended on gynecology OPD at College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur from September 2012 to August 2013 who complained of vaginal dischargewere taken as sample. There were total 193 patients and 16 years or above were included. Wet microscopy, grams stain, culture and germ tube test were performed to isolate the infecting organisms (yeast or non yeast) and to isolate Candida albicans from other yeast. 49 of total patients were infected by yeast among them 32 were caught by Candida albicans and 17 by other yeasts. Out of 32 C. albicans infected patients, 29 were from reproductive age group (16-35). Study shows that 25.38% of the females were suffered from mycosis. The study drew conclusion that the most vulnerable age group is active reproductive age group (16-35) who are likely to be invaded by Candida albicans.

Keywords: Candida albicans, candidiasis, germ tube test, mycosis, wet mount test.