Microorganisms Associated With Burn Wound Infection in Sana’a, Yemen

Burn wound infection is a major complication in
burn patients after initial period of shock. More than 70 % mortality in burn
patients is attributed to infection. This study was conducted from July 2008 to February 2009 at Teiba Center
for Burns Surgery in Al-Jumhory Hospital located in Sana'a city, Yemen. A total of 200 burn wound
swab were collected. Fifty eight (58%) of patients were males and forty two (42%)
were females. The most common age group was ≤ 10 years group (42%), (84.5%) had
second-degree burns, (13%) had third-degree burns, (1.5%) had fourth-degree burns and the remainder had
first-degree burns, (69.5%) were
due to flame, (24.5%) were due to scalds, (4.5%) cases were due to electrical burns
and three cases were due to chemical burns. Out of 167 positive
cultures, single Gram positive bacteria were the most dominant (44.3%),
followed by Gram negative bacteria (28.7%) and mixed Gram positive and Gram
negative bacteria (20.4%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common
organism, isolated100 (47.8%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23%),
Candida albicans (5.3%), Escherichia coli (5.3%), Serratia plymuthica
(3.8%), Proteus mirabilis (2.9%), Salmonella species (2.4%), Staphylococcus
epidermidis (2.4%), Acinetobacter species (1.9%), Streptococcus faecalis
(1.4%), Bacillus species(0.96%), Citrobacter freundii (0.96%),
Klebsiella species (0.96),and Streptococcus pyogenes
(0.96%).