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Grant support

This study was supported by grants PI18/01155 and PI19/00074 from Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria (FIS. Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Plan Nacional de I+D+I 2017-2020). The study was cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) `A way of making Europe.' JG is a steady researcher contracted by Fundacion para Investigacion Sanitaria del Hospital Gregorio Maranon. JD (FI19/00021) holds a predoctoral grant by FIS.

Analysis of institutional authors

Ramos-Martinez, ACorresponding AuthorFernandez-Cruz, AAuthor

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Article

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Profile of Candidemia and the Incidence of Fungemia Due to Fluconazole-Resistant Candida parapsilosis

Publicated to:J Fungi (Basel). 8 (5): 451- - 2022-05-01 8(5), DOI: 10.3390/jof8050451

Authors: Ramos-Martinez, Antonio; Pintos-Pascual, Ilduara; Guinea, Jesus; Gutierrez-Villanueva, Andrea; Gutierrez-Abreu, Edith; Diaz-Garcia, Judith; Asensio, Angel; Iranzo, Reyes; Sanchez-Romero, Isabel; Munoz-Algarra, Maria; Moreno-Torres, Victor; Calderon-Parra, Jorge; Munez, Elena; Fernandez-Cruz, Ana;

Affiliations

CIBER Enfermedades Resp CIBERES CB06 06 0058, Madrid 28029, Spain - Author
Hosp Gen Univ Gregorio Maranon, Clin Microbiol & Infect Dis, Madrid 28007, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Puerta de Hierro, Serv Anestesia & Reanimac, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Puerta de Hierro, Serv Med Interna, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Puerta de Hierro, Serv Med Interna, Unidad Enfermedades Infecciosas, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Puerta de Hierro, Serv Med Prevent, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
Hosp Univ Puerta de Hierro, Serv Microbiol, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
Inst Invest Sanitaria Gregorio Maranon, Madrid 28009, Spain - Author
Inst Invest Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Segovia de, Majadahonda 28222, Spain - Author
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Abstract

Severely ill COVID-19 patients are at high risk of nosocomial infections. The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics of candidemia during the pre-pandemic period (January 2019-February 2020) compared to the pandemic period (March 2020-September 2021). Antifungal susceptibilities were assessed using the EUCAST E.Def 7.3.2 broth dilution method. Fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis isolates (FRCP) were studied for sequencing of the ERG11 gene. The incidence of candidemia and C. parapsilosis bloodstream infection increased significantly in the pandemic period (p = 0.021). ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, parenteral nutrition and corticosteroids administration were more frequent in patients with candidemia who had been admitted due to COVID-19. Fifteen cases of FRCP fungemia were detected. The first case was recorded 10 months before the pandemic in a patient transferred from another hospital. The incidence of FRCP in patients admitted for COVID-19 was 1.34 and 0.16 in all other patients (p < 0.001). ICU admission, previous Candida spp. colonization, arterial catheter use, parenteral nutrition and renal function replacement therapy were more frequent in patients with candidemia due to FRCP. All FRCP isolates showed the Y132F mutation. In conclusion, the incidence of candidemia experienced an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic and FRCP fungemia was more frequent in patients admitted due to COVID-19.

Keywords

candida parapsilosiscandidemiacovid-19drug resistancefluconazoleCandida parapsilosisCandidemiaCovid-19Drug resistanceFluconazoleMicrobial

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal J Fungi (Basel) due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2022, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Plant Science.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 4.08. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 8.7 (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-17, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 17
  • Scopus: 36
  • Europe PMC: 14
  • OpenCitations: 29

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-17:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 36.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 36 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 3.75.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 9 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (RAMOS MARTINEZ, ANTONIO) and Last Author (FERNANDEZ CRUZ, ANA ELISA).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been RAMOS MARTINEZ, ANTONIO.