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Introduction: Over the last years, systemic fungal infections have dramatically increased in hospitalized patients. The Candida is the main pathogen caused nosocomial fungal infections., The Aim of the Study: The aim was to analyze frequency of occurrence of the yeast-like fungi in different biological materials isolated from the patients of an Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of Lodz in the period of 2000-2003., Material and Methods: 123 strains of fungi were analyzed with the use of API 20 C AUX test (bioMarieux)., Results: Among all the investigated Candida strains C. albicans accounted for 52.0%. Samples from respiratory system and urine most often contained the strains of C. albicans (56.3 and 60.5%, respectively); blood samples contained C. parapsilosis (44.8%). In patients who were untreated by bacterial antibiotics C. albicans was the most frequent species, whereas in patients who were ordered bacterial antibiotics it was C. parapsilosis that dominated., Conclusions: (1) Candida is the most frequent cause of fungal infections in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit. (2) C. parapsilosis is the main pathogen caused bloodstream infections. This species is also more frequent in patients who were ordered antibacterial antibiotics over five days. (3). Species other than C. albicans become more and more frequent and dangerous.

For the past twenty years, invasive fungal infections have dramatically increased resulting in the high morbidity and mortality. The main reason of these infections is the development of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. Immunosuppression, neutropenia, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, corticosteroids, chemotherapy, central intravascular catheter, total parenteral nutrition are the major risk factors of the invasive fungal infections. Most of these factors are very common for hospitalized patients. For example, patients with fungemia are more likely to die during hospitalization then those with bloodstream infection caused by nonfungal pathogens. Unfortunately, diagnosis and diagnostic methods of fungal infection are still difficult.