Two hundred and twenty nine patients were sorted out at random from different services at the Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Venezuela, to investigate simultaneously the presence of Candida albicans in the mouth and in their toothbrushes. None of them showed signs of candidiasis.
From the oral cavity of each patient two samples were taken by rubbing throughout the mucous membrane. One of them was cultured in oxgall agar and the other one in diluted milk agar. At the same time, the toothbrushes of the patients were cultured in oxgall agar or in diluted milk agar.
The results showed evidence of C. albicans in the mouth of 28% of the patients hospitalized for different reasons, and in the 18% of the toothbrushes studied.
Both media were found equally efficient for the diagnosis and identification of C. albicans in nascent culture, even with material contaminated with other yeasts and bacterias.
The use of dental prothesis, in patients without teeth and those with a few teeth, appears to be a predisposing factor for the colonization by C. albicans in healthy mouths.
Out of 57 healthy mouth-carriers of C. albicans, 33 (58% of them) had also C. albicans in their toothbrushes.
These findings seem to point to the toothbrushes as being the possible reservoir and reinfection source in some cases of candidiasis. To patients suffering with oral candidiasis the use of some method for desinfecting the toothbrushes must be recommended when planning the treatment.
Resumen
Se estudiaron al azar 229 pacientes entre los hospitalizados en diferentes Servicios del Hospital Universitario de Caracas, con el objeto de investigar simult~ineamente la presencia de C. albicans en la boca y en el cepillo de dientes de los mismos pacientes. Ninguno de ellos mostr6 signos de candidiasis.
A cada paciente se le tom6 muestra de la cavidad oral mediante hisopado de la mucosa yugal de ambos lados. De cada boca se tomaron 2 muestras quese sembraron en un tubo de bilis agar y en un tubo de leche diluida. Sucesivamente se hizo siembra del cepillo de dientes de cada paciente; la mitad de los cepillos se sembraron en bilis agar y la otra mitad en leche dilulda.
Se comprob6 la presencia de C. albicans en la boca de128% de los pacientes hospitalizados por diferentes causas yen el 18% de todos los cepillos examinados.
Los medios bilis agar y leche diluid~ resultaron igualmente eficaces para el diagn6stico e identificaci6n de C. albicans en cultivo naciente. Ambos medios ofrecen la ventaja de permitir la identificaci6n de C. albicans afn cuando 6sta se encuentre mezclada con bacterias y/o otras levaduras.