Incidence of yeasts and influence of nystatin on their control in a group of burned children.

The incidence of yeasts in the oral cavity, rectum and urine of a population of 60 children hospitalized for treatment of acute second and third degree burns was approximately the same at the time of their admission as would be expected in healthy subjects. After hospitalization, the incidence of yeasts was reduced in the intestinal tract of acute patients who received nystatin orally but increased in the oral cavity. The majority of 418 yeasts were inhibited in vitro by less than 50 units/ml nystatin and only 6 yeasts were resistant to more than 3.1 mug/ml amphotericin B. The oral cavity appeared to act as a significant reservoir from which yeasts spread to cause or contribute to the deaths of 2 of 5 patients who died during the study.