Microbiology of septicaemia in burn patients

Abstract

A prospective study was conducted over a period of four years (July 1992-June 1996) in a burn unit to establish the actiologics of septicaemia and the number of episodes per patient and to perform antimicrobial susceptibility tests for selection of the (litig/s of choice for empiric therapy. Out of 943 patients admitted during the period, 79 (8%) suffered from 118 septicaemic episodes and Wood culture yielded 145 isolates. Seventy-two (61%) of the episodes were due to gram-positive cocci, 31 (26%) to gram-negative bacilli, one to Candida albicans and 14 to mixed infections. Of the 72 gram-positive episodes methicillin-resistant staphylococei accounted for 66 (92%). Sixty (76%) patients had a single episode, while the remainder each had 2-10 episodes. Most of the gramposilive organisms (76%) were methicillin-resistant staphylococci that were resistant to most drugs, but not glycopeptides. The gramnegalive organisms included Pseudomonas (38%), Acinetobacter (35%), and coliforms (25%). Most of the isolates of Pseudomonas were susceptible only to imipenem while those of Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriaceae were susceptible also to piperacillin/tazobactam.