Study of burn sepsis with special reference to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT

Fifty cases of burn of different degrees were subjected to clinical and microbiological studies. A total of 60 isolates were obtained. Of these, 40 (80.0% incidences) were Ps aeruginosa, 8 (16.0 incidences) Staph pyogenes, 6 (12.0% incidences) Kl pneumoniae, 4 (80.0% incidences) Esch coli and 2 (4.0% incidences) C albicans. Monobacterial cultures showed isolations in 41 cases (82.0%) and 34 (68.0%) of them were Ps aeruginosa. At the time to admission 42 cases (84.0%) were infected and during one week of hospitalisation another 8 cases (16.0%) were infected yielding an overall infection rate of 100%. The commonest organism on admission and after hospitalisation was Ps aeruginosa with isolation rates of 60.0% (30) and 20.0% (10) respectively. Gram-negative bacilli, predominantly Ps aeruginosa were found in the lower part of the body with an incidence of 74.0% (37). Staph pyogenes was found in the upper half showing an incidence of 12.0% (6) next to 20.0% (10) incidence of Ps aeruginosa. The incidence of burn infection was high in patients with deep and major burn wounds, the bacterial isolates being 76.0% (38) and 80.0% (40) respectively. Silver sulphadiazine exhibited antimicrobial action in the range of 14 to 390 microM/ml, while cerium sulphadiazine had no inhibitory effect even up to 667 microM/ml on pseudomonas isolates. Zinc sulphadiazine was effective in inhibiting the growth of 10 isolates tested in 40 to 297 microM/ml range.