[Epidemiology of burn wound infection in Rabat, Morocco: Three-year review]

To determine the bacteriological profile of burn wounds in patients hospitalized in the burn unit of the Military Hospital in Rabat and describe their sensitivity to antibiotics.

This prospective study was conducted from July, 2009, through March, 2011, in the hospital bacteriology laboratory, in collaboration with the burn unit. At each admission, a questionnaire was completed to collect the patient's data. Bacteriological samples were collected from burn wounds at admission and every time the bandage was changed. Identification of bacteria was based on their culture, morphological, and biochemical characteristics. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined with the agar diffusion method, in accordance with the recommendations of the French Society of Microbiology. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS Version 13 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software.

The study included 58 burn patients. Their mean age was 38.2 ± 15.5 years; the mortality rate was 13.8%, and the prevalence of infection 43.1%. We identified 126 non-redundant bacterial strains from the 112 samples collected, most often Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Staphylococcus spp.

Heightened vigilance and rigorous application of hygiene rules, together with continuous epidemiological surveillance of burn wound bacteria, are essential to optimize empiric antibiotic therapy.