Candidiasis oral y estado nutricional en adultos mayores hospitalizados. Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso, Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga. Cuenca - Ecuador, 2017

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Hospitalized older adults are susceptible to opportunistic infections, including oral candidiasis. Hospital malnutrition, a common condition in this population, is often undervalued, although it may be associated with adverse events including mycotic infections.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of oral candidiasis in hospitalized older adults and its association with nutritional status.

METHODOLOGY Cross-sectional study evaluating the prevalence of oral candidiasis and its association with nutritional status in 240 elderly hospitalized patients. Participants were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and underwent oral mucosal examination with microbiological investigation. Nutritional status was assessed by blood biomarkers such as serum albumin, total cholesterol, and total lymphocyte count. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using frequencies and percentages; to determine the association between the variables studied, the chi square test was applied with a value of statistical significance or p value ≤ 0.05. To quantify this relationship, the Odds Ratio was used as a measure of association with its respective confidence interval.

RESULTS The prevalence of oral candidiasis was 28.18% and the proportion of patients with malnutrition reached 88.63%. Oral candidiasis and nutritional status in hospitalized older adults are not statistically significant (X2 = 2.46, p ≤ 0.05) (OR = 2.22, CI 95% 0.73 - 6.76).

CONCLUSION There was no statistically significant association between oral candidiasis and the nutritional status of hospitalized older adults