Common clinical presentations and isolated bacteria profile among burn patients, at Addis Ababa Burn and Emergency Trauma Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: A burn is a devastating form of trauma, responsible for a significant
percentage of morbidity and mortality caused by injuries and accidents worldwide.
Thermal injury destroys the skin barrier that normally prevents the invasion of
microorganisms and makes burn wounds susceptible site for colonization by
microorganisms of endogenous and exogenous origin.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was held at Addis Ababa Burn,
Emergency and Trauma (AaBET) Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from December 01,
2020, to November 30, 2021. Data was collected using structured and pretested
questionnaires through face-to-face interviews. Wound swabs were collected from all
consented participants and evaluated for possible microbial isolates. The extracted data
were analyzed using SPSS 20.1. This study was conducted following approval of the
Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College Institutional Review Board.
Results: From a total of 75 patients who consented to the study, males accounted for
53.3% (n=42), and ages ranged from 6 months to 76 years, with the median age being 19
years. Children less than 15 years old account for 42.7% (n=32). Flame burn was the
leading cause (n=30, 40%) followed by a scald burn (n=22, 29.3%) and high voltage
electric burn (n=21, 28%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the commonest isolate (42
isolates; 61.7%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18 isolates; 26.4%). A significant
percentage of the positive swab results were monomicrobial (84.7%).
Conclusion: Flame was the leading cause of burn wound. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is
the most common bacteria causing burn wound infection among the study participants.