Pattern of bacterial invasion in burn patients at the pakistan institute of medical sciences, islamabad.

A prospective study was carried out in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, from January 2002 to December 2003. A total number of 142 patients were included in the study. The patients' mean age was 32.2 yr for males and 24.4 yr for females. The male/female ratio was 1.18:1.0. Micro-organisms from 86 patients were cultured for the first five days and in 77 patients from day 6 onwards. Staphylococcus aureuswas found in 24.4%, which decreased to 18.2% after the first week. Pseudomonas aeruginosawas found in 27.3% of patients. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureuswas observed in 11.7% of cases. No case of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureuswas found. Seven patients, after admission day 6, showed no growth. Eighteen per cent of males and 16% of females died during their stay in hospital. This study highlights the predominant bacterial pathogens among the infected burn wounds treated in our centre.