The Burns Unit in Copenhagen: Bacteriology

Abstract

After briefly reviewing the literature on bacteriology in burns, the author reports the distribution of the wound cultures during the period 1961-1968 in the Burns Unit, Copenhagen. The bacteria are related to the clinical infection findings, the patients’ ages, and the depth as well as extent of the burns. Staphylococcus aureus was endemic and demonstrable in 80% of the patients exhibiting clinical infection, regardless of age and area of burn. On the other hand, gram-negative bacteria and fungi were most common in elderly patients as well as in deep and extensive burns. Gram-negative bacteria were more common in patients transferred from other hospitals and in patients treated by dressing. Thanks to extensive penicillin prophylaxis, haemolytic streptococci were uncommon and not observed at all in extensive burns. Patients with tracheostomy showed the same bacterial flora in their burns as in the trachea. Most of the infections were mixed, but gram-negative bacteria occurred at a later stage of the course than S. aureus. The frequency of the various bacteria is compared with the findings of previous authors.