Evaluation of Bacterial Infection of Burn Wounds in a Burn Center, Qom, Iran

Background & Aims of the Study: In spite remarkable progress in the anti-microbial treatment in the last 60 years and despite all the care in the health system, infectious diseases especially burn wound infection is a major problem and one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality for burn patients. Certainly, the identification, review and updating of bacterial infections and their antibiotic resistances have an important role in the control, prevention, and correct treatment of burn patients. This study aimed to determine burn wounds and antibiotic resistance in patients hospitalized at the Nekoei Burn Center, Qom, Iran. Material & Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on patients referred to a Burn Center in Qom, Iran, for a three-year period (from May 2012 to November 2014). After sampling, the identification of the isolates was done by conventional biochemical tests. Disk diffusion method was performed for testing antibiotic resistance according to CLSI guideline. Among a total of 793 patients, 45 patients (19.82%) were positive culture. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most dominant microorganism in patients (66%), followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (16%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12%). In the evaluation of antibiotic resistance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the most resistant to ciprofloxacin (93.3%) and ceftriaxone (86.6%). Among the used antibiotics, meropenem and cephalexin had a better effect than other antibiotics. Based on the obtained results, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most isolated common microorganism of burn wounds at our hospital and it seems that treatment of common antibiotics in this center has not enough effectiveness. Thus, it is essential to use effective antibiotics correctly and to prevent the extension of resistant bacteria.