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CC BY 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 28(02): e180-e187
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768140
Original Research

An Experience in Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in COVID -19 Patients

Sushma Yadav Boorgula 
1   Department of Microbiology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Sadhana Yelamanchili
1   Department of Microbiology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Srinivas Kishore Sistla
2   Department of Otolaryngology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Lubna Saher
1   Department of Microbiology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Deepika Gujjarlapudi
3   Department of Biochemistry, AIG Hopsitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Shalini E.
1   Department of Microbiology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Sindhu Devi V.
1   Department of Microbiology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
,
Nageshwar Reddy Duvvur
4   Department of Gastroenterology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
› Author Affiliations Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research.
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Abstract

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has cast a gloom spell on healthcare worldwide, infecting millions of people.

Objective The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence and review the contributing comorbidities and the precipitating factors leading to the emergence of the fungal infections in COVID-19-affected patients. To assess the utility of different laboratory techniques for confirmation of fungal infections. To assess the strengths and limitations of the diagnostic methods.

Methods We have studied 252 clinical samples obtained from 121 COVID-positive patients.

Results Among the 121 patients clinically diagnosed with fungal infections, 88 had diabetes and were given steroids for treatment (p-value = 0.001). Ninety-five patients (78.5%) had a positive laboratory diagnosis (either culture positive, potassium hydroxide [KOH]-positive or positive histopathology report). Fungal culture was positive in 75 (61.9%) patients and histopathology report was positive in 62 (51.2%). Histopathology was positive in 7 (5.8%) patients in whom culture and KOH were negative.

Conclusion Aggressive treatment methods, administration of immune suppressants, and antibiotics, with an intention to salvage, have made patients susceptible to the benign fungus, causing it to evade the host immunity, thus leading to invasive infections. Applying different laboratory modalities would not only aid in providing fast and valuable information but also help in understanding the pathology which would assist the clinician in selecting the correct treatment for the patient.

Keywords

COVID-19 - sars-cov-2 - diabetes mellitus - steroids - fungus

Authors' Contribution

Dr. Boorgula Sushma Yadav: Conceptualization of the article, collection, compilation of data, and composition of the article.


Dr. Yelamanchali Sadhana: Supervision, guidance, editing, and proofreading.


Dr. Sreenivas Kishore Sistla: Article review.


Dr. Lubna Saher: Data Collection.


Dr. Deepika Gujjarlapudi: Statistical analysis.


E. Shalini: Processing of the samples and maintaining internal quality control.


V. Sindhu Devi: Processing of the samples and maintaining internal quality control.


Dr. Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy: Intellectual inputs and overall supervision.




Publication History

Received: 25 May 2022

Accepted: 24 February 2023

Article published online:
26 September 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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