Usefulness of EQUAL Candida scores for predicting outcomes in patients with candidemia: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Objectives The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) Quality of Clinical Candidemia Management (EQUAL) score is a tool designed by the ECMM to measure guideline adherence. The current study investigated the association between EQUAL scores and clinical outcomes. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in 3 hospitals in Taiwan. Patients with candidemia between January 2014 and July 2018 were enrolled. Guideline adherence was evaluated using EQUAL score indicators. Clinical outcomes and predictors of 30-day mortality were investigated. Results A total of 384 patients were enrolled. The overall mean EQUAL score was 8.91 ± 3.42 (9.42 ± 3.60 in survivors vs. 8.10 ± 2.94 in nonsurvivors, p Conclusions Greater guideline adherence with a higher EQUAL score was significantly associated with survival. An EQUAL score cutoff point