title: Fusarium spp infections in a pediatric burn unit: nine years of experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fusarium spp are ubiquitous fungi recognized as opportunistic agents of human infections, and can produce severe infections in burn patients. The literature on Fusarium spp infections in pediatric burn patients is scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical and epidemiological features as well as outcome of Fusarium spp infections in pediatric burn patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, descriptive study of Fusarium spp infections in a specialized intensive care burn unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 15 patients Fusarium spp infections were diagnosed. Median age was 48 months. Direct fire injury was observed in ten patients. The median affected burn surface area was 45%. Twelve patients had a full thickness burn. Fourteen patients had a Garces Index ≥3. Fungal infection developed at a median of 11 days after burn injury. Fungi were isolated from burn wound in 14 patients and from the bone in one patient. Amphotericin B was the drug of choice for treatment followed by voriconazole. Median time of treatment completion was 23 days. One patient (7%) died of fungal infection-related causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our series Fusarium spp was an uncommon pathogen in severely burnt patients. The burn wound was the most common site of infection and mortality was low.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: margris2@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rosanova
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brizuela
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de Quemados, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villasboas
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de Quemados, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guarracino
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Departmento de Microbiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan" , Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finquelievich
mesh_terms: D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D060585:Fusariosis / Q000150:complications*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Burn; Fungal infections; Fusarium spp