The effect of a changed environment on bacterial colonization rates in an established burns centre

In an established burns centre which moved from an old building to new purpose-designed premises, colonization rates of patients' burns with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacilli were not reduced. Colonization rates with Streptococcus pyogenes increased but the increase was mainly due to multiple importations in the new premises of a strain of higher communicability than any seen in the old.In the first 32 months in the new environment 10 patients were found colonized with pseudomonas on admission and 20 became colonized in the unit. A much higher proportion of patients with burns of more than 30% body surface became colonized than of patients with less. About one-third of the above 20 patients became colonized with strains already isolated from another patient; all but one of them had small area burns. Cross-infection was not observed from numerous heavily colonized patients with high percentage burns. This paradox is discussed in detail. Basin outflows in the new premises became colonized with P. aeruginosa of two serotypes not found on patients in this unit.