The establishment of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected burn-wound sepsis model and the effect of imipenem treatment.
BACKGROUND
We present a standardized Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infected burn-wound model in mice for evaluating new antimicrobials and therapy strategies for PA infections and demonstrate the effect of the antibiotic imipenem in this model.


METHODS
A 6%-8% total body surface area, full-thickness, scald-burn wound was induced in anesthetized mice. Two study groups (PA-infected burn) were compared with 1 treatment group (systemic imipenem) and 3 control groups (noninfected burn, infected nonburned, and burn with distant infection). Seven-day mortality, quantitative culture from eschars and from spleens, weight loss, and time to healing were compared.


RESULTS
The 25%-100% mortality rate in the nontreated PA-infected burn group was directly related to the infecting inoculum. Imipenem treatment reduced the mortality rate to 0-17%. No control animal died. Systemic bacterial dissemination at 48 hours was significantly higher in the study group. Morbidity paralleled survival results. Wound healing was quicker in the imipenem-treated group and control groups compared with the infected nontreated group.


CONCLUSIONS
The mice model is a useful tool for evaluating new antibacterial agents and strategies for treating PA-infected burn injuries. Imipenem was found to be efficacious in the treatment of severe PA sepsis.
Barnea
Yoav
Y
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. barneay@netvision.net.il
Carmeli
Yehuda
Y
Kuzmenko
Boris
B
Gur
Eyal
E
Hammer-Munz
Orly
O
Navon-Venezia
Shiri
S
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D015378:Imipenem / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015378:Imipenem