The prevalence of fungal infections in a level I Iranian burn hospital

Background: With significant increase in incidence of fungal infections in burn victims, determination of pattern of fungal infections and colonization is required to allow medical staff to begin proper empirical antibiotic therapy in early stages of septic episodes.

Objective: To determine the current infection profile (especially fungal profile) of burn wounds in a level I burn care center in Tehran.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 2008 to September 2009 on burn wound patients admitted in Shahid Motahari Burn Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Wound swab cultures and tissue specimens from 869 patients (634 male and 235 female) out 4083 were taken and cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar. The fungal organisms were then identified with macroscopic and microscopic structures.

Results: The incidence of fungal infection (not colonization) among the patients of this study was 13%. Candida albicans was identified as the dominant fungal agent (45%) followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (35%), Penicillium (8%), Aspergillus niger (5%), and other fungal organisms (7%).

Conclusion: With such high mortality rate and an increasing incidence of fungal wound infections, fungal infections should be a top infectious complication of burn patients and should be managed immediately and aggressively.