Emerging trends of antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance in burn patients

Abstract

Background: Burn wound infection is a dynamic entity that is one of the major determining factors of the patient’s hospital stay, mortality and morbidity. The analysis of the changing trends in the burn wounds microbiological profile will help deciding a more effective empirical therapy for burn wound infection. Objectives: To identify the changing trends of the organisms cultured from the burn wounds during the time of admission, and over a period of last 5 years in the burn unit and their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Methodology: Analysis of the burn wound culture sensitivity results sent to the microbiology lab on weekly basis and interpretation of the results. Results: The gram-positive organisms have become more common in 2017 in the first week of burn admission as compared to previous years. From the second week onwards the gram-negative organisms are the more prevalent organisms. Non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococci are the most commonly seen organisms. The patients with a rapid progression of sepsis with burn wound infected with Pseudomonas and non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli will benefit from starting of Colistin at an early stage. Similarly, those with Staphylococci growing in the burn wounds can benefit from Linezolid, Chloramphenicol. Keywords: Burn, Infection, Changing trends, Sensitivity, Resistance