Abstract:

Introduction: Burn is one of the most common painful form of trauma, significant thermal burn induces a state of immune suppression predisposing burn wounds to infections and complication. Wound infection is a significant challenge in developing countries hospitals where proper health care delivery is hampered limited resources in conjunction with increase commonly used antimicrobial resistance. This study investigated on the prevalence of bacterial infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern causing wound infection both in fresh and infected wounds.

Methodology: Cross section hospital based study was carried from May to July 2018 at BMC and SRRH. Wound swabs were collected convenient using sterile bacteriological swabs and processed with aseptic culturing and sample biochemical identification tests. Isolates were tested against commonly used antibiotics (Gentamycin, Ceftriaxone, Ceftazidime, Amoxiclav, and Erythromycin) by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.

Results: A total of 65 subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolates rate of 55.4% (36/65). Majority were female 58.5% (38/65). Of all the isolates, 96% (48/50) were gram negative bacteria (GNB). The most predominant (GNB) isolated was Klebsiella pneumoniae 32% (16/50) followed by Pseudomonas aurgeginosa 28% (14/50) and Enterobacter aerogenes 10% (5/50). Other isolates include Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter spp, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia staurti, Staphylococcus aureus and candida albicans. Majority of the isolates were resistant to Amoxiclav (54.17%), Ceftriaxone (54.17%) and Ceftazidime (52.08%) with susceptibility to Gentamycin and Ciprofloxacin (54.17 and 45.83% respectively).

Discussion: Most of resistant pathogens were isolated from hospitalized with Klebsiella pneumoniae being the leading gram negative bacteria (GNB) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) isolation rate was considerably low in this study 10.4% (5/48) which is contrary to the done in Napel which showed a higher prevalence of ESBL 27.6% (34/123) with S. aureus reported the commonest isolate followed by P. aurgeginosa.

Conclusion: This study has reported Klebsiella pneumoniae as the commonest burn wound pathogen in the two main health facilities in Mwanza. There is a remarkable resistance to most commonly used antibiotics. ESBL isolation rate was considerably low from burn wounds. No Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates was reported in the study.