To investigate the clinical features and influencing factors of chronic respiratory failure combined with pulmonary Candida infection.

The clinical data, including demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, laboratory indicators, and treatment measures of 80 patients with chronic respiratory failure combined with pulmonary Candida infection admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, from October 2019 to October 2021 (observation group) were analyzed, retrospectively, and 80 patients with chronic respiratory failure without pulmonary Candida infection during the same period were selected as control group. The risk factors influencing chronic respiratory failure combined with pulmonary Candida infection were analyzed by Univariate and multifactorial Logistic regression.

Among patients in observation group, the majority were male (53 cases, 66.25%), aged from 31 to 86 years old, with a mean age of (57.86 ± 10.53) years old, with the majority of patients over 60 years old (56 cases, 70.00%); the mean body mass index (BMI) was (22.26 ± 3.15) kg/m²; the mean average body mass index (BMI) was (22.26 ± 3.15) kg/m²; the average duration of disease was (9.45 ± 1.28) years; most patients smoked (63 patients, 78.75%) and drank alcohol (57 patients, 71.25%); all patients’ respiratory rates and heart rates were above the normal range; 51 (63.75%) patients had undergone invasive diagnostic and treatment operations. The most common underlying disease was pulmonary diseases [33 cases (41.25%)], followed by cardiovascular diseases [28 cases (35.00%)]; laboratory indicators included abnormal levels of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (NEUT), lymphocytes (LYMP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and calcitoninogen (PCT), which were higher than normal range. Among the previous treatments, 55 (68.75%) patients had long-term application of glucocorticoids, 59 (73.75%) patients had long-term use of antibacterial drugs, and 42 (52.50%) patients had undergone mechanical ventilation. Patients in the observation group over 60 years old [56 (70.00%) vs. 40 (50.00%)], invasive diagnostic and treatment operations [51 (63.75%) vs. 32 (40.00%)], pulmonary disease [33 (41.25%) vs. 18 (22.50%)], cardiovascular diseases [28 (35.00%) vs. 16 (20.00%)] and long-term use of glucocorticoids [55 (68.75%) vs. 42 (52.50%)], long-term use of antibacterial drugs [59 (73.75%) vs. 43 (53.75%)], and mechanical ventilation [42 (52.50%) vs. 26 (32.50%)] were significantly higher than the control group, with significant differences (all P < 0.05). LYMP [(0.53 ± 0.02) × 10⁹/L vs. (0.92 ± 0.04) × 10⁹/L], CRP [(91.25 ± 10.23) mg/L vs. (72.58 ± 8.64) mg/L] and PCT [0.82 (0.23, 4.63) μg/L vs. 0.39 (0.11, 0.92) μg/L] levels were significantly higher than those of control group, with significant differences (t = 78.000, P = 0.001; t = 12.471, P = 0.001; Z = 2.558, P = 0.011). Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that invasive diagnostic and treatment operations (OR = 3.115, 95%CI: 1.243-5.423, P = 0.012), combined lung diseases (OR = 3.144, 95%CI: 1.499-5.847, P < 0.001), PCT (OR = 3.134, 95%CI: 1.259-4.186, P = 0.018), long-term use of glucocorticoids (OR = 3.17, 95%CI: 1.628-5.186, P < 0.001), long-term use of antimicrobial drugs (OR = 2.169, 95%CI: 1.114-3.798, P = 0.021) and mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.104, 95%CI: 2.001-5.364, P < 0.001) were all independent risk factors for chronic respiratory failure combined with pulmonary Candida infection.

Chronic respiratory failure combined with pulmonary Candida infection is most common in elderly men, and pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases are the common underlying diseases, invasive diagnostic and treatment operations such as mechanical ventilation are important medical factors for the development of this disease, and long-term use of glucocorticoids and antibacterial drugs are the risk factors.