Abstract
Introduction: Burn injuries represent a significant global health burden, with infection-related complications being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in affected patients.
Objectives: This study aimed to characterize wound culture patterns, bacterial isolate distribution, and mortality-associated factors among burn patients admitted to Taleghani hospital in Ahvaz, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed burn patients referred to Taleghani hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. Data were collected retrospectively from hospital clinical documents, focusing on demographic characteristics, clinical parameters, and microbiological findings from wound cultures.
Results: The study identified Pseudomonas species, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as the most prevalent pathogens in burn patients, alongside Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus strains (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA], methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus [MSSA], vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [VRSA]). Polymicrobial infections involving P. aeruginosa with E. coli or K. pneumoniae were common, reflecting complex wound ecologies. Mortality analysis revealed a prevalence of 54.5% of deaths and significant associations with male gender, extensive burn surface area, and higher burn grades, while age showed no prognostic relevance. Pathogen-specific outcomes highlighted exclusive fatality linkages for Acinetobacter (particularly co-infections with Klebsiella or MRSA) and polymicrobial P. aeruginosa infections, whereas MSSA and Proteus correlated strongly with recovery.
Conclusion: This study highlights the critical relationship between microbial ecology, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical outcomes in burn care, identifying P. aeruginosa as the predominant pathogen, often coexisting with K. pneumoniae or E. coli in fatal polymicrobial infections. Mortality risks correlated strongly with male gender, extensive burn surface area, and higher burn grades, but not age. Acinetobacter species (particularly in co-infections with Klebsiella or MRSA) and polymicrobial Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections were exclusively linked to mortality, contrasting with favorable outcomes for MSSA and Proteus monoinfections.