title: Epidemiological and bacteriological profiles in children with burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study is to determine the most prevalent bacteria responsible for nosocomial infection (NI) in burned children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective analytic study was conducted over a period of 30 months at the Children's Hospital of Tunisia. All burned children were enrolled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 185 children were hospitalised during the study period. The mean age was 30 months (interquartile range, IR:18; 48). The gender ratio of the study population was 1.3 (104 males and 81 females). The mean total body surface area burned (TBSA) was 10% (IR:6; 16). The incidence rate of NI was 39.1 NIs per 1000 patient-days and two-thirds of the infections were polymicrobial. The most common isolated micro-organisms were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, 57.7%), wild-type Pseudomonas aeruginosa (35.9%) and wild-type Enterobacter cloacae (26.9%). The case fatality rate was 5.9% corresponding to a crude death rate of 1.32 deaths per year. Septic shock with multiple organ failure was the leading cause of death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common micro-organisms responsible for NI in our series were of the wild-type phenotype. Thus, on suspicion of sepsis, empiric antibiotic treatment combining piperacillin, oxacillin and gentamicin can be proposed until identification of the causative microorganism is available.
authors: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, Tunis El Manar University, Bab Saadoun 1007, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: fhaw2000@yahoo.fr.
authors: Amjed
authors: A
authors: Fekih Hassen
authors: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, Tunis El Manar University, Bab Saadoun 1007, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Ben Khalifa
authors: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, Tunis El Manar University, Bab Saadoun 1007, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors: Mayssa
authors: M
authors: Daiki
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016972:Enterobacter cloacae; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005839:Gentamicins; D010068:Oxacillin; D010878:Piperacillin
keywords: Bacteria; Burn; Children; Infection