Evaluation of E and EAC rosette-forming cells in patients with thermal injuries.

Thermal injuries lead to changes in both the cell-mediated and humoral responses of the patient. This study was undertaken to assess these responses in the post-burn period and also to see if bacterial infection altered these responses. It has been concluded that alterations in the cell-mediated and humoral immune responses following thermal injuries are altered by infection and consequently are also important in the healing process.

Correlation of quantitative burn wound biopsy culture and surface swab culture to burn wound sepsis.

The present study includes seventeen patients with second and third degree fresh burns involving 15-50 per cent total body surface area (TBSA). Surface swabs and quantitative burn wound biopsy cultures were obtained during postburn weeks 1, 2 and 3 and correlation was studied. To obtain bacterial counts the technique described by Loebel et al. (1974) was used. The patients were divided in two groups depending upon burn body surface area involved. The first group includes five patients with burns between 15-29 per cent body surface area and the second group includes the rest of the twelve patients with burns between 30-50 per cent body surface area. No patient from group I showed any sign or symptom of sepsis whereas seven patients from group II developed sepsis and three died. These three patients showed positive blood culture at the time of death. Of the 48 cultures obtained in all the patients over 3 weeks, 7 cultures showed differences between swab and biopsy cultures. Genticyn was the most effective drug against Gram-negative organisms.

Infection in burn patients.

In a recently opened burn unit which used a semi-isolation technique to treat burn patients, burn bacteriology has shown the usual pattern of bacterial cultures i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and proteus; with the first two predominating. Comparison with a similar study done in 1974 revealed that Streptococcus faecalis was absent in these cultures, E. coli and S. aureus infection had decreased, the number of sterile wounds had increases, there was slight increase in P. aeruginosa infection. A survey of burn wound, throat and stool cultures of patients and attendants over a 2-week period revealed pathogenic S. aureus in 3 out of 26 throat cultures. Phage typing of these strains did not reveal the same strain in any wound cultures. Similar phage type was grown from wounds in two different cabins on two different dates. thus indicating cross infection. Persistence of similar phage type was also seen in wounds of one patient. Similar aeruginocine typing of P. aeruginosa was seen in wound cultures of two different patients; one of these, type 15, was also grown in stool of the third patient thus indicating transmission of infection from the stool of one patient to the wound of other patient and from the wound of one patient to the wound of other patient.

Serodiagnosis of the role of opportunistic bacteria in cases of burn wound sepsis.

In the present study, the antibody titres in the serum of 21 patients with burns were analysed against various Gram-negative organisms, infecting the wounds of these patients. Antibody titre was determined on the first, fourth and tenth day of admission. The rise in antibody titre was correlated with the age of the patient, degree and area of burns and clinical status of the burn wounds.