Aerobic Bacteriology of Burn Wound Infections in Burn Patients and Their Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir Valley

Aims: The burn wound represents a susceptible site for opportunistic colonization by organisms of endogenous and exogenous origin. Burn wound infections are an important cause of mortality, morbidity and prolonged hospitalization in burn patients and the causative agent is generally a multidrug resistant organism. The pattern of microbial flora infecting burn wound varies according to geographical pattern as well as with duration of hospital stay. The main aim of the study was to determine the bacteriological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of burn wound isolates.

Study Design: It was a prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study.

Place and Duration of Study: The present study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, from December 2019 to November 2020.

Methodology: Swabs were taken from burn wound of 351 patients and cultured aerobically. Samples were processed for identification and sensitivity. Bacteria isolated were identified using their morphological characteristics, Gram staining reaction and biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.

Results: A total of 351 samples were obtained for the study out of which, the most common isolate was Klebsiella pneumoniae – 154 (38.3%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa - 133 (33.08%), Proteus sp – 42( 10.44%) , Acinetobacter sp- 26 (6.46%), Staphylococcus aureus - 26 (6.46%), Escherichia coli - 17 (4.22%), Enterococcus - 2 (0.49%), and Providencia sp- 2 (0.49%). Colistin was the most effective drug against Gram negative organisms while as linezolid was most effective against Gram positives.

Conclusion: The finding of the study will be helpful for identifying the common bacteria causing burn wound infection and also to take proper precautions to prevent the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.