Nosocomial infections in a Brazilian Burn Unit

In 1-year prospective study, bacterial and fungal infections presenting in burned patients were registered. Two-hundred and seventy-eight patients were included. The median total body surface area burned was 14% (range 1–100%). The median length of hospital stay was 12 days (range 1–86 days). Eighty-six patients had in all 148 infections. Seventy-two bloodstream infections (BSI) occurred in 57 patients; most common microorganisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Forty-nine (17.6%) patients had burn wound infections and 18 (6.5%) had pneumonia. Antibiotics were given to only 30% of the burn patients. Overall mortality rate was 5.0% (14/278). The database can be used to evaluate the effects of changes in burn treatment, staffing and design of burn units, and antimicrobial resistance development in relation to antibiotic usage.