Burn wound infection in 100 patients treated in the burn unit at Jordan University Hospital

A retrospective chart review was conducted for 100 patients treated in our Burn Unit to study the incidence and nature of burn wound infection, which is our most common and serious complication in burns. Quantitative estimates of infection were obtained by culturing bacterial flora from surface swabs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the predominant burn wound pathogen, only a few patients developed fungal infections. A significant association was found between increasing burn size and increasing incidence of Gram-negative invasive organisms. Restriction in the prophylactic usage of antibiotics and environmental control within the Burn Unit may help to decrease the incidence of infection. Regular wound care has been effective in decreasing wound sepsis. It has been concluded that the relatively poor socioeconomic conditions of many of our patients and the delay in referring patients to the Burn Unit are the most important predisposing factors in burn wound infection.