A clinicopathological study of infections in burn patients and importance of biopsy.

ABSTRACT

Thirty-four patients with burns were subjected to the clinicopathological study with special reference to culture of the wound and histological examination of the burned tissue. The commonest cause of burn was thermal burn (91.18%) followed by electric burn (5.88%) and chemical burn (2.94%). The maximum number of patients belonged to second and third decades of life (61.78%). Females were commonest victims, with malefemale ratio was 11.6. On the 1st to 3rd postburn day (PBD) most of the wound remained sterile and Strept haemolyticus was first bacteria isolated on 1st PBD. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, specially pseudomonas, invaded the burn wound as early as 3rd PBD, it was more so with the patients of extensive burn. Among the Gram-positive bacteria Staph aureus was most notorious and invaded burn wound very early. Pseudomonas had maximum growth followed by klebsiella and Esch coli, multidrug resistance was more common with pseudomonas. Among the fungal infections Candida albicans had maximum incidence. Positive blood cultures for bacteria were seen during 2nd, 3rd and 4th postburn weeks. Pseudomonas was the commonest bacteria isolated. Biopsies were done in 17 patients and showed maximum incidence of bacterial infection followed by fungal infection. Patients with burn more than 60% of total body surface area (TBSA) had 100% mortality, while patients with 20-30% of TBSA burn had 20% mortality, the overall mortality was 50%. Biopsies of the burn wound played an important role in the accurate diagnosis and thus helped in starting early specific therapy to prevent death from sepsis.