Background: The major challenge for a burn team is nosocomial infection in burn patients, which is known to cause over 50% of burn deaths.

Aims and Objectives: To assess the pattern of bacterial colonization in a burn wound in patients admitted in Burn Unit.

Materials and Methods: Eighty two burn patients were studied in New Burn Unit of Department of Surgery, Gajra Raja Medical College and J A Group of Hospitals, Gwalior between June 2015 to May 2016. All patients were studied for nature and extent of microbial involvement in burn wounds and antimicrobial susceptibility and isolate pattern. Wound swabs were collected before change of dressing and administration of antibiotics with a swab immersed with normal saline on 0, 3rd, 7th and 14th day of hospital stay.

Results: Most common age group was 31-40 years (28.04%) with female preponderance (56.095%). Most of the patients had total body surface area (TBSA) of burn less than 30% (n=24) followed by 31-40% (n=25). Rate of bacterial growth was more on day 3 and 7 with 63.4% and 94.7% swabs yielding bacterial growth respectively. Bacterial isolates were frequently positive in cases with higher percentage of burn injury and mostly seen at day 7. Most common bacteria observed in burn wound was Staphylococcus aureus (n=96) followed by Pseudomonas species (n=80). A high level of drug resistance was seen with Pseudomonas species.

Conclusion:  Burn wound are devastating form of trauma generally affecting female population. Bacterial contamination occurs after 24 hours of initial treat and reaches maximum level at 7 days Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas species are most common organism causing sepsis and wound infection. These organisms were sensitive to use of Norfloxacin, and Amikacin.

Keywords:  Nosocomial infection, total body surface area, bacterial infection, burn wound.

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Dr Naveen Kushwah

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